Paranoia Rebirth
by dragonmaster8
Summary: The Lil' Slugger incident is over. Tsukiko's abandoned the Maromi character, and the population's lives are back to normal. But the original victims can't forget the temporary salvation he brought. COMPLETE. The end is here...
1. PERSONALITY ATTACK

This isn't the best written first chapter, but please look past it. I tried to blend the chapter title in with the story so it doesn't seem out of place, so just for reference, it's the all caps segment.

* * *

"Come here," said a voice seductively. A dark-haired women with blue lipstick gave a smile to match here voice. The target of her words immediately obeyed her command. He stared at the women at first, and then Maria's work began.

* * *

Her eyes shot open to a rising sun in the sky peering through a window. She sat up, and immediately felt her stomach churn as a black wig fell off of her head. Maria had taken over again, and she had no control of it.

That wasn't entirely true. She'd managed to convince Maria not to return to where she lived in the day, and Maria had continued not to.

Hirumi Chono observed her surroundings. She was in her old apartment. This building was one of the few rebuilt the same as it was before the Lil' Slugger incidents, and for two years, she continued to pay rent on it. Through some miracle, her husband hadn't caught on.

_Her husband._

What had she told him last night? She had to think. Then she remembered,

_"I have a student early in the morning, so I won't be there right away when you wake up," Hirumi stated._

_"Okay," replied her husband, and Hirumi gave an inward sigh of relief that he had believed her. "What time will you be back?"_

_"Noon," she said calmly. Her husband nodded, and they continued watching TV._

Hirumi looked at the alarm clock she had set on her side table, and saw it was six A.M. Plenty of time to get ready and freshen up before she went home. She turned on the TV, and stepped into the shower.

Fifteen minutes later, she was out and staring at the cloths in her closet. It was the same as old times. She kept her cloths on the left (a few dresses and such she brought to change into the next morning when Maria took over.), and on the right was short skirts, tight dresses, and silk cloth. Maria's brand of kinky wardrobe hadn't much changed.

She took out the green dress that buttoned down the middle. It was a little old, but it still fit. She put on her glasses and sat down at the make-up covered mess of a stand to brush her mess of hair as TV report continued.

"Has anyone ever insulted you on things you can't change, like your looks, or your height, or the way you act? We call these things a personality attack, and you can do things to stop them."

"PERSONALITY ATTACK"

Hirumi grabbed her handbag and walked out the front door, locking it behind her.

* * *

As she walked down the streets of the new Tokyo, she was careful to avoid all of the shops and snack shops her husband liked to shop at. She carried her bag in front of her with both hands, and tried to blend in with the crowds.

This by itself wasn't the easiest of tasks, considering she was wearing a light green dress. She was noticing how people occasionally stared at her, but didn't let it bother her. She was too worried about her husband learning of Maria to worry about what people have been thinking of her.

_Why won't she leave,_ Hirumi thought.

_She did leave, remember?_ said another thought in her head.

_When Lil' Slugger attacked,_ she recalled. _Then I was calm. I was at peace, living with my husband. Then she returned. She came back. But when I was attacked,_ a sound was filling her ears. All of the people seemed to have disappeared. It was the sound of skates on cement.

_When I was attacked I was fine. When Lil' Slugger was here, all anyone had to do was call out._ The sound was getting louder.

_Then Maria was gone. I was happy. I could live, until she came back. _Her thoughts were racing. Her heart was beating at a seemingly impossible rate.

_If I can just be attacked, just feel relief!_

Hirumi turned around, and her heart skipped a beat. She saw what looked like a grade school kid wearing grey clothes and green shorts and a pair of golden skates racing towards her. There was a flash of metal, and Hirumi gave a sharp cry as-

-As her cell phone pulled her back into reality. It rang loudly, and Hirumi looked around. The crowd was still surrounding her, and nothing had happened. It was her imagination.

She reached into her handbag, and saw a black cell phone ringing. Her eyes widened. How did this get in her bag? She ducked down a side alley away from people. No one could here Maria's voice answering the phone.

"Hello?" said the seductive voice.

"Hello, Maria?" asked a man's voice. "This is Double Lips. We're re-establishing the business. Care to join again?"

"Same pay?"

"Yes, Maria,"

"Of course I'm willing to join again," Maria responded casually

"I knew you'd come back, so we put out your ad already. Your first client responded, and requested the Moonlight hotel. Is tonight at midnight alright?"

"It'll be fine," She hung up the phone, and Hirumi came out of the alley, looking confused.

* * *

Hirumi wasn't sure how she knew, but she could tell she'd need another excuse tonight. Luckily for her, her husband provided one for her.

"Do you have another early lesson tomorrow?" he asked.

Hirumi smiled. "Yes. The mother requested an extra day tomorrow morning."

"That's alright. I'll see you at noon again?"

"Yes," Hirumi smiled innocently, and wished she hadn't been imagining Lil' Slugger.

* * *

A man sat on the edge of a bed expectantly, and smiled every now and then. He'd heard from a friend the Double Lips girls were the best, and jumped on the opportunity when he learned they were reformed.

A soft knocking on the door was all the man needed to jump up and yank it open.

"Where do you want me?" said a seductive voice of a women wearing blue lipstick.

* * *

Hirumi stood in the shower. She had been right. Maria controlled her every action that night. She stared up at the shower head, and felt the hot water roll off of her smooth skin.

"Little Slugger," she whispered. "Where are you?" Hirumi closed her eyes.

* * *

When she opened her eyes, she was at her student's house. They had scheduled a lesson that afternoon at two o'clock, and Hirumi was there right on time. The front door opened.

"Mrs. Chono! Good to see you!" said the voice of a fifth grader.

Hirumi looked downward to see a young girl with black hair tied back in a pony-tail, and the rest messed around carelessly on top of her head. "Good to see you, too, Yamiaka Owaki,"

The lesson began same as usual, and everything was fine. Yamiaka talked casually as always about how she was upset she had been grounded. Yamiaka looked up at Hirumi with a wide grin, "Thank you, Mrs.Chono. You're great at listening and you're so smart,"

Hirumi smiled. "You're welcome, and thank you, too. Now, about this problem,"

* * *

"Are you ready?" asked a man.

"Oh yeah," responded Maria. It was night out, and Maria was working. This client paid well, and Maria didn't argue. Hirumi hadn't even remembered going home before Maria snuck out of the house at night to work. Hirumi was also running out of excuses to tell her husband. How often could she use "I have a student early in the morning,"?

* * *

When Hirumi regained control, it was seven in the morning. She was lying on her back still dressed as Maria, and realized she wasn't in the bed alone. She turned over and saw her husband, sound asleep.

Hirumi's eyes widened in horror at his sight. Maria had returned to Hirumi's home.

Without thinking about anything but the fact she couldn't let her husband see her like this, she grabbed Maria's bag, and ran into the bathroom. She didn't relax until she had turned the shower on, and stepped into it.

When she was finished, she shoved everything belonging to Maria in the bag, and

zipped it shut. How could Maria go to Hirumi's home? Too many things were happening, and Maria was getting out of control again.

* * *

Maria ended the call with Double Lips, and smiled at the place her next client had chosen. It was a quiet hotel that wasn't at all run down. It was a rather nice place.

Maria brought herself back to focus. This was a client's stop, not her time to enjoy her surroundings. She stepped into the hotel's elevator, and picked the right floor.

She casual walked down the hall, and stopped in front of room 743. She knocked, and waited.

Hirumi Chono's husband answered the door.

Maria stared blankly at her 'client'. Hirumi was fighting to gain control of the situation. Maria was just staring and ignoring Hirumi standing next to her.

"He's my husband,"Hirumi told Maria

"I don't care, he's a customer," Maria argued.

"But he's my husband," Hirumi protested.

"Oh, are we role-playing?" smiled Hirumi's husband. "Yeah, I'll be your husband,"

Hirumi grabbed Maria's arm, and ran out of the hotel. Maria immediately protested, and tried to resist, but Hirumi was winning.

"Wait! Where are you going?" called a voice behind her, but Hirumi didn't look back. She just kept running, and taking Maria with her.

She didn't stop until she got to Maria's apartment. She went in the shower, and Maria was gone.

Hirumi lost her balance, sat down, and just cried in the shower. Maria was destroying her life, and it was getting difficult for Hirumi to regain control. She sobbed to herself, "How could he do that? I need Little Slugger. I need that salvation! I want to be myself."

* * *

Hirumi was sitting right next to her husband on the couch, but she felt a mile away. She felt betrayed, and scared that Maria would completely take over, and she couldn't stop it.

"The mail's here. He's late though. It's already night!" said her husband, and got up to get it from the pile on the floor where the mail-drop let it out. He didn't even feel bad about what he did the other night. He didn't realize Hirumi had seen Maria open the door.

"What is this?" he asked the air. Hirumi looked up, and saw him holding a rent bill for Maria's apartment. Maria changed her mailing address. "Hirumi, it's addressed to you,"

Hirumi stared in horror as he read the address. "This is your old address. Why are they billing you for it?"

"I-I don't know," Hirumi didn't realize anything she was saying. The words escaped self-consciously.

"I'm going to take a shower," said her husband. "You should call the landlord and straighten that out.

"What's happening?" muttered Hirumi. Her husband didn't notice, and went into the bathroom.

"What's happening? I'm destroying your life," Maria was sitting next to her.

"Why!" asked Hirumi.

"So you have no reason to fight me." Maria grinned sinisterly. "Like I said before, I want to be free."

Hirumi felt her pulse quicken as her husband came out with a navy blue bag from the bathroom.

"What is this?" he asked pulling out a black wig, and gasped. He stared at her in shock and surprise.

"No!" shouted Hirumi. "Stop it!"

"Shut up!" Maria yelled. "You are finished,"

Hirumi burst open the front door, and ran into the vacant night street.

"Stop it!" she yelled again. "Little Slugger! Please!" She held her head in her hands, and didn't here the sound of skates on cement. All Hirumi Chono saw was a flash of metal, and she collapsed on the ground.

Please review! Again, I know it's not the best written first chapter in the world. Most of that is probably because I found it difficult to show Maria and Hirumi. I will explain why Little Slugger/Shonen Bat was there, but not for a little while, that's the whole point of the story. Thank you for reading, and please review.


	2. AMNESIA MISSING

Thanks for all reviews! Alright, now to answer the question asked, no, this story isn't all about Hirumi and Maria. That was just my first chapter. A good few of the original victims will be in these beginning chapters.

* * *

"Taeko, I brought Ice Cream," A short man offered a late teenage girl sitting on a swing. He was what many people would call fat, and looking troubled about the girl on the swing.

"Thank you, sir," said the girl on the swing. She had on a white sun hat, and a horizontally striped dress. She took the frozen treat from the outstretched man's arm, and took a few licks. The man sat down next to her.

"It's good, isn't it?" he offered, trying to keep up conversations with his daughter. She didn't know though. Two years ago, she was attacked by Lil' Slugger, and became an amnesiac.

"Yes," she continued. She still looked a little absent-minded after all of the time she's had to recover. She still couldn't remember. Could it be she wished for this herself? Little Slugger seemed to give emotional relief of what a person wanted. Had she wanted to forget? To become nothing?

_"I want to forget!" yelled Taeko into the phone. Tears streamed down her face and mixed with the rain. "I want to become nothing!"_

Only Taeko knew the answer, and she forgot it. The man looked around, and stared at a billboard for a little while. It read:

Are you misplacing things? When it comes to remembering where your keys are, do you seem to have amnesia? Missing things becoming too much for you? You could be eligible for our study. Contact-

AMNESIA MISSING

Masami Hirukawa stood up, and waited for Taeko to do so, but she didn't, and Masami sat down in turn. Would she ever remember anything? And if she did, would he want her to?

* * *

"Local tutor and university professor's assistant and wife Hirumi Chono was attacked last night by an unknown assailant. There were no witnesses, and her husband hadn't seen the attack, so not much is known on this case, or will be, until Hirumi wakes up. In other news-,"

The sound of the TV died as Hirukawa and Taeko passed the TV blaring into the street from a local shop window and continued to their destination. They were going to get dinner at a diner, because that was all Hirukawa could afford at the moment.

The sound of Taeko's footsteps behind him assured him that she was still following. He'd learned that he could trust her enough on her own to walk behind him if she pleased.

Some of the people they walked past stared at Taeko's expressionless eyes and constant smile, but Hirukawa didn't care. Taeko was still alive, and that's all he cared about.

* * *

The diner was cheap while still containing good food, and that was good enough for Hirukawa. Taeko seemed not to care, and simply ordered a salad.

"Do you like it?" asked Hirukawa, noticing her only picking at the food.

"It isn't bad," Taeko said honestly, but she looked troubled. Hirukawa cautiously pried into the matter.

"What's wrong?" he asked a little hesitantly.

"I think…" started Taeko, but shook her head, as though dismissing her statement. "You told me I had amnesia right? That's why I can't remember anything?" Hirukawa stared.

"Y-yes," he managed to spit out eventually. "You were attacked two years ago."

"I think," Taeko seemed to be picking up at the thought she abandoned earlier. "I think I knew you before,"

Hirukawa dropped his sandwich, and leaned forward. "What…else do you remember?" he said cautiously. After all, there were certain memories Hirukawa would prefer she didn't remember.

_Taeko pushed open the door to her house, and looked around. Seeing no one around, she slinked over towards her father's laptop, and popped it open. She opened the disc drive, and placed a disc in._

_"There, it's done!" Taeko said gleefully as a birthday message appeared as the new background. "I wonder if he'll be surprised!" _

_She noticed a small shortcut half hidden behind the recycle bin._

_"Hm?" Taeko clicked on the shortcut. An image of her room popped up on the screen. She stared blankly for a moment before loading the rest of the pictures._

"No, I don't think so," Taeko said finally. Hirukawa resumed eating his burger. "Just that I think I've known you for a long time."

* * *

They had finished their meal, and were walking home. It had grown to be dark out, and Hirukawa decided it safer to walk behind Taeko this time.

Taeko walked with her head down, staring at the ground. She seemed troubled about something, and Hirukawa was almost afraid to ask what it was.

Taeko stopped walking.

"What is it, Taeko?" asked Hirukawa. There was a long moment before a dark voice that Hirukawa almost didn't recognize as Taeko's spoke.

"How dare you," growled Taeko. Hirukawa hadn't heard that voice from her since…

"Taeko, you remember everything, don't you?" Hirukawa got to 'remember' before Taeko cut him off.

"Shut up!" She turned to face him with an expression that showed how truly angry she was. "Yes, I remember! Was that your little game? To hope I wouldn't remember what you did? You sick monster. You wanted to start 'a happy father daughter relationship' with me after what you did?"

"Taeko, please!" Hirukawa had broken into a sweat. Taeko wasn't giving him a chance to talk at all. He had thought she'd stop being so angry if the home it happened in was gone. Apparently he was wrong.

"I told you to shut up!" Taeko was starting to yell louder with every word. "I hate you! And don't think I've forgotten what I said! I will make sure that everything that makes you happy is destroyed! I hate you!"

Taeko ran off into the night, and Hirukawa couldn't even move. He managed to slur out "Taeko, wait!" but knew that she wouldn't listen. Taeko was gone again, and this time, she didn't even have a cell phone.

* * *

Taeko sat on a park bench, staring into the darkened woods in front of her.

_Why did I remember?_ Taeko thought. _Why couldn't I stay as nothing, like I wanted?_ Her string of thoughts changed.

_I hate him. I wish he was gone. I wish he was gone and I didn't have to ever remember him!_ Taeko's mind raced.

_I want to forget! Whoever caused me to forget, where are you? Help me!_

Taeko looked up at a rustling in the bushes. Was it him? Was it the man who helped her before?

No. It was just a stupid dog looking for scraps of food.

"I want him dead," she said sullenly, "Whoever made me forget, make me forget him, and make him dead,"

* * *

A flyer was stapled to a telephone pole. It read 'Have you seen me?' and enclosed a picture of Taeko with a phone number below.

Hirukawa had stapled these flyers to everything he could, and didn't stop until everything that could be stapled had at least one flyer on it. He had to find Taeko. She meant the world to him now that his wife left him.

She left him a little ways into the reconstruction of Tokyo began. All she kept saying was that he had no job, and couldn't even provide a new home for her. She smiled at Taeko, and left. She never even talked to Taeko again.

Hirukawa needed to find Taeko, and find a way for her to forgive him. If anything ever happened to her, Hirukawa wouldn't want to live in this world.

* * *

Hirukawa sat on his couch waiting. No one had called yet about Taeko, but there was still hope. Why wouldn't anyone see her? She wasn't that hard to miss, at least to him.

The phone rang.

Hirukawa immediately jumped up and ran to the phone hanging on the wall.

"Hello!" he practically yelled in the phone.

"Um, yeah, I think I…" Hirukawa could her something like faint laughter in the background, and the caller quieting them. "As I was saying, I believe I saw you daughter. I asked her if she knew everyone thought she was missing and she…"

The caller burst out in laughter.

"I got you so good, old man! You-,"

Hirukawa never heard the rest of his jeering. He dropped the phone on the kitchen floor, and collapsed to his knees.

"Taeko, where are you?" Hirukawa asked quietly, before yelling "Taeko!"

* * *

'Have you seen me?'

Taeko read the words over and over again, and stared at her picture. She couldn't believe it. She had told him she hated him, and here he had pasted her face on a piece of paper, copied it a thousand times, and posted it everywhere in sight.

"I…" said Taeko, before here face contorted into an angry expression. "I hate him!" She ripped the piece of paper from the corner down, before staring at the rest of the papers stapled along the entire road. "I hate him!"

* * *

Hirukawa stared in disbelief at the spot where his flyer had been. All that remained were scrapes of paper where the staples remained.

He walked up the street at each scrap of paper where a flyer once was, and stopped at where one single flyer remained, but the bottom staple was removed. Hirukawa lifted the piece of paper, and read the message that was clearly meant for him.

I hate you.

* * *

Taeko smiled to herself at what she'd done. He had no doubt seen the note she left for him. Did he finally get the fact that she didn't even care remotely for him?

She stared up at the sky, grinning to herself. She finally fell asleep happy on an old mattress in an empty alley.

When she woke up the next day, she walked out into the street, still smiling. Today she would continue destroying his life. She had begun by asserting to him that she hated him. Now she would keep it up. His life must already be getting worse.

She thought this, until she saw the flyer. It was the same flyer, only printed on blue paper instead of white.

"No," she whispered to herself. "Doesn't he get it? I hate him!"

She ran up the street, until she found one white flyer. The one flyer she'd left her message on. She lifted it up, and gasped. Hirukawa had written something in return.

'I could never hate you, and I don't believe that's true,'

"No!" she yelled, and ran down the street.

* * *

Hirukawa stared. She had ripped all of the flyers down again, and again, left the one white one.

'Meet me at midnight, under the street light in front of where you live.'

Hirukawa smiled a little. Had she begun to forgive him? All he could do was wait for midnight.

* * *

Taeko stared at Hirukawa standing in front of her. He was the one to break the silence.

"Taeko," he began, but Taeko interrupted with a calm voice.

"Shut up," she said. "Don't you get it? How many times do I have to tell you? I hate you!"

"That's not true Taeko, or you wouldn't have even asked to meet me here," Hirukawa said just as calmly.

"Why don't you understand? I hate you! Who would forgive someone who did what you did? I hate you!"

"Taeko," Hirukawa started again, but Taeko didn't let him stop her. She was starting to cry.

"I hate you! Don't you get it? I want you out of my life! I want you dead!"

At the last of her words, Hirukawa realized she meant it. If she wanted him dead, then…

"Taeko," he began. "If you want me gone from your life, I will do it. I'll never talk to you again. Just know, I'm sorry for everything,"

"Die," spat Taeko. And at the end of her words, the sound of rollerblades filled the air. Hirukawa turned around to see a glint of gold, and was laying in a pool of blood in an instant.

The attacker smiled at Taeko, and that's all she could see of his face. His grey sleeveless hooded shirt, the black long-sleeve, Taeko knew he was the one who attacked her two years ago.

His grin grew wider, and he charged Taeko. She hit the ground as he skated away into the night.

* * *

Taeko woke up in a hospital. The sun was blinding her from the window. How did she get here? Her head was bandaged for some strange reason.

"Oh, you're awake," said a doctor walking into the room. "I know this is sudden, but I have some bad news.

"What is it?" Taeko asked.

"Your father… took a serious blow to the head," The doctor frowned. "He died on the spot." Taeko stared blankly before smiling.

"I don't know who you're talking about. My mother and I have lived alone for all of my life. I never knew my father."

* * *

Okay! End of chapter two! To fans of Tsukiko, I think she might be in the next chapter! Don't worry! She's not the next victim. Please review! 


	3. RUMOR DISTORTION

Thanks again for all reviews! In response to them: I will put Maniwa into later chapters, and possibly the next one. Thanks to all of the reviewers, and thanks for sticking with the story to everyone still reading. It took a little while, but it's up here! The third chapter that moves the story to the beginning of the plot. Enjoy!

* * *

Yuichi Tayra or 'Ichi' was accused two years ago of being Lil' Slugger, but when he became a victim himself, he began to rebuild his popularity. People immediately apologized for how they had acted, and 'Ichi' was back.

But then the second incident happened.

Things in his school were spiraling downward. He had neglected to study for a test, and failed. In conjunction, he was the final out on his baseball team, and pitched majority of the opposing side's points to them. The day was horrible, and he finally snapped on the next person who talked to him.

It just happened to be Ushi, and majority of the class just happened to be watching.

They began to accuse him of attacking Ushi a few weeks back. They called him one of Lil' Slugger's wanna-be's. They were assuming there were more knock-off kids of Lil' Slugger solely because of the one kid who committed suicide in prison. His life was being destroyed again.

The black ooze disaster stopped the rumors again, and Yuichi moved up to middle school. Now he didn't even try to be popular. He had become extremely anti-social. He still kept up his grades, but never tried to make friends again, and never tried to climb the social ladder again.

Yuichi was walking back from school as the sun was setting. He had been absent the previous day, and had to stay after to make up a test. He was sure he'd aced it, but showed no enthusiasm.

A movie store turned on its lights as he walked past. Hanging in the windows were the new movie posters. Yuichi stopped, and looked at the new movie release list for a little while. The new movies were:

Pet Shop Fun 3, The Rumor, Distortion, and Kilko the Kat goes to Tokyo.

RUMOR DISTORTION

Yuichi stared at the last new release, 'Kilko the Kat goes to Tokyo'. The stupid cat that replaced the pink dog was doing well, apparently. Yuichi turned away, and continued walking home.

* * *

A computer had the image of a half-finished character that resembled a frog. It had a short tie, spiraling eyes, and a small tuft of hair on top of its head. A line that formed half of an underbelly was just barely visible without the color added yet.

On top of the computer was a small cat plush toy with a head that was too big for its body. It was almost colored like a Siamese cat, and had large eyes with big black pupils.

All of this was set up in a cubicle. It wasn't too small, but with all of the printed character designs, it was extremely cluttered. A hand reached over the cubicle wall and grabbed the cat. The person sitting in the middle of the cubicle looked up.

"Can you believe the success of Kilko?" asked a woman with long brown hair. "She's even got her own movie out now!"

"Oh, hello, Mariyama," said the person in the cubicle. Knowing who was talking to them, the person returned to coloring the frog.

"Oh, is this the new character design?" asked Mariyama. She stared at the frog for a few seconds, and smiled. "Tell me, how do you keep coming up with these designs, Tsukiko?" Tsukiko gave a small smile, and then let her face return to the expressionless gaze it normally carried.

Tsukiko Sagi had changed how she looked entirely. She had cut her hair so that it was now shoulder length, and didn't wear the same pink outfit people would usually see her in. Instead, she had a grey vest that buttoned towards the middle of it, and a matching skirt. Underneath the vest, she wore a short-sleeved white t-shirt with a crew-cut collar. Two of the only things that remained the same were her style of shoes, although they were a new pair, and the fact that she wore glasses when working on her computer.

"I'm not sure," Tsukiko said. "They just come to me." Mariyama smiled.

"Whatever happened to the dog that originally made you so famous? Maromi?" Mariyama asked. Tsukiko's eyes narrowed.

"The character didn't work out," Tsukiko responded quickly. "Too many flaws and character designing troubles with the series."

"Oh," said Mariyama, slightly taken back by Tsukiko's quick response. "Well, good luck on your next design!" Mariyama walked out of the cubicle, and Tsukiko looked up at Kilko.

"Why did she have to ask that?" Tsukiko said to herself, and went back to giving the frog color.

* * *

Yuichi walked down the road to school. Two years ago, he would be staring ahead of him, eagerly awaiting the welcome of his peers as the sight of his school would come into view. But as he always thought, that was two years ago.

The day seemed normal at first, but Yuichi knew that something bad was going to happen. No sooner had he thought this, when a kid bumped into him. Yuichi waited for the insults and how he should 'watch where he was walking', but they never came. Finally Yuichi turned around to see a short kid who otherwise looked his age trembling in fear.

"Please," he begged as Yuichi stared blankly. "Don't hurt me!" The kid ran ahead of Yuichi, leaving him confused.

When Yuichi got to school, he realized what that had been about. Someone left him a note saying very abruptly, 'You attacked Chono!" Yuichi stared at the note with a blank look on his face.

_Mrs. Chono awoke in the hospital last night. She reported nothing to the police except that she was 'still feeling a little weak'. Police have only received a small statement that the attacker had dark hair and wielded a large golden baseball bat._

Yuichi gave a small smile as his eyes narrowed. That's what was happening? People thought he was attacking people? Assaulting them on the streets? Yuichi dropped the note.

_This isn't happening,_ thought Yuichi. _Not again, no. People just like to spread rumors, that's all. This won't grow to become that again.

* * *

_

Yuichi had been wrong. No sooner had he got into class, people formed small circles and whispered, occasionally looking at him.

_Nothing's happening. _He assured himself. _Nothing at all is happening._ Yuichi began to hear the whispers as he took his seat.

"He did it!"

"He attacked that school teacher!"

"Wasn't she a tutor?"

"He killed that fat man!"

"He's a murderer!"

"Settle down class," stated a teacher as she walked into the room. The loud rumors stopped, but a few people continued in a whisper.

_Nothing's happening,_ Yuichi thought again. _Nothing. They aren't doing this.

* * *

_

Tsukiko pushed open Mariyama's office door. She had called Tsukiko to her office. Something about characters. Tsukiko had just barely pushed open the door when Mariyama shouted, "Tsukiko! Come in! Sit down!"

Obeying, Tsukiko sat in the wooden chair in front of Mariyama's desk. The office itself was rectangular, and surprisingly clean for the type of person Mariyama rubbed off as. A small plant stood in the corner of the office by a large window behind Mariyama's desk. Mariyama smiled, her lips were covered in crimson lipstick, and stretched extremely thin.

"I'm glad at the characters you designed," said Mariyama. "It's refreshing to see you haven't forgotten you're roots," Tsukiko, who had been looking at the exciting carpeting, turned her attention to the thin women.

"Excuse me," started Tsukiko, "But what character design are you talking about?"

"This one!" exclaimed Mariyama, holding up a manila folder. "It's so cute, too!"

"I'm sorry," began Tsukiko. "But what character is it?" Now Mariyama stared in confusion.

"The one you gave me, or course," She brought the envelope down to her desk and opened it. "I'm glad you brought him back," Tsukiko's eyes widened in horror.

Mariyama was holding up a picture of Maromi.

"You dropped it in my mail," said Mariyama. "Why you didn't you just give it to me yourself?

"I need to withdraw that character," Tsukiko said hastily.

"But…" Mariyama tried to reason, but Tsukiko ignored her.

"I'll get you a good character on Monday, just please return that drawing," Without waiting for an answer, Tsukiko took the picture and walked hastily out of the office.

"Uh, okay then!" Mariyama shouted after her. "I'll be waiting on Monday!"

Tsukiko immediately returned to her cubicle and dropped the paper on her desk. The drawing of Maromi seemed to be staring at her.

"Someone just played a trick on me," Tsukiko whispered. "That's all," Tsukiko finished her statement as she slipped the Maromi picture through the shredder. One of the strips of paper fell, and seemed to be staring a Tsukiko.

* * *

Yuichi stood in line and listened to the student continue talking about him.

"I heard he attacked the tutor because she stopped teaching him!"

"Really?"

"I heard that too!"

"So why did he attack that girl?"

"Because he could! He let his power go to his head, and-,"

The people left the line with their pizza, and Yuichi couldn't hear them anymore. All the better. Yuichi waited for his pizza, but instead stared at the tuna sandwich placed on his tray.

"We're out of pizza," said a fat lunch lady as another one hastily tried to hide the rest of the pizza under the counter.

"Are you serious?" Yuichi asked no one. "Everyone?" When he walked out into the cafeteria, everyone was talking about him. Yelling things at him. Insulting him. Even the teachers. Everything was happening all over again.

Yuichi dropped his tray and ran out of the cafeteria. As he pushed open the cafeteria doors and let them swing shut behind him, a handwritten note tapped to the lunchroom doors flapped in the wind.

It read; "Silent Lunch Today".

* * *

A few teachers stared, but none stopped Yuichi Tayra from running out of the building. Maybe they thought he would eat lunch in the school greenhouse as a few of the other kids did.

Yuichi didn't stop running. The world was spinning around him.

"Why can't they stop?" Yuichi yelled. "Please! Make them stop! Make them care for me! Please make it all leave!"

Yuichi had turned into a dark alley. A few stray cats hastened to get out of his way as he stumbled around in panic.

"Why did you attack me, Yuichi?" Hirumi Chono was standing in front of him.

"Yeah," jeered a little kid. "You even killed an old man!"

"Make them stop!" yelled Yuichi. "Make it all go away!"

The shapes in Yuichi's vision were blurring together. It all looked like a grayish swirl. As Yuichi stumbled backward, he saw one image that wasn't blurred. A reddish cap and golden skates raced towards him. A golden bat was brought up into the air, and Yuichi saw nothing more.

* * *

Night had fallen. Tuskiko walked towards her apartment building, careful not to wander down any alleys. As she reached the building, a feeling of foreboding came over her. Something was wrong.

The climb up the stairs seemed to take no time at all, but it seemed to take a while for her to get her keys out. The fight with her pocket to retrieve the keys ended with them falling onto the carpeted floor. She reached down to grab them, but instead came up with a piece of paper.

Maromi seemed to stare at her from the paper.

Tsukiko gave a sharp cry, grabbed her keys, and shoved them into the lock. She got the door open, practically jumped into her house, and slammed it shut behind her. As she circled around to sit down on her couch, she saw something that caused her to drop her bag onto the floor.

A Maromi doll was sitting on the couch. It looked up at Tsukiko.

"Tsukiko," Maromi said. "He's back,"

* * *

Thank you for reading! I should have chapter four up in a shorter time then it took for this one. Please review! 


	4. MENTALITY ESCAPE

Thanks for the reviews and for still sticking with the story after this long an update. Double thanks to new reviewers. To anyone who gets confused, this chapter starts one day after chapter one, and five days before chapter three.

* * *

"Local tutor and university professor's assistant and wife Hirumi Chono was attacked last night by an unknown assailant. There were no witnesses, and her husband hadn't seen the attack, so not much is known on this case, or will be, until Hirumi wakes up. In other news-," 

"Oh no!" The cry that interrupted the news casters voice belonged to a young girl with her hair tied back into a pony tail. The rest of it was brushed flat, but other then that, had no particular style.

"What is it Yamiaka?" asked a women with long brown hair as she walked out of the kitchen connected to the living room. "Did something happen?"

"This!" Yamiaka Owaki said with a depressed tone lingering in her voice. She motioned towards the TV. "Mrs. Chono was attacked!" The women's face turned into an upset one that matched her daughters.

"Mrs. Chono? Your tutor?" asked the women. "What happened?"

"All the people know is that she was attacked late last night!"

"Poor Hirumi," sighed the women. "I know! We can bring her the cake I was making for dessert tonight! That way when she wakes up, she has a little treat!" Yamiaka smiled.

"Great idea, mom! When can we bring it to her?" exclaimed Yamiaka.

"How about tomorrow, after you get back from school?" suggested Yamiaka's mother.

Yamiaka smiled. "Your the best, mom,"

The TV news reporter continued his report, and the TV cast light onto the book shelf behind the blue couch. Yamiaka's father enjoyed reading and was a psychologist, so he had purchased a large number of books on the human mind. Yamiaka scanned a few titles. Human Emotion, Mentality, Escaping from Stress, Attacking Your Problems, didn't her dad ever buy anything interesting?

MENTALITY ESCAPE

It didn't matter. Yamiaka knew that tomorrow was going to be one of the best days she ever had.

* * *

Yamiaka stared at the hands of the clock, anxiously awaiting the end of the school day. In only five more minutes, she would be able to bring that cake to Mrs.Chono. Her eyes were wide in excitement. 

"Hurry up!" she whispered towards the clock.

"Don't forget you have a test tomorrow!" shouted the teacher as the bell for dismissal echoed through the school. Yamiaka was the first one out of the school. As she was walking away, a couple of friends called her, but she was too anxious to get home to do much more then wave. Her messenger bag flapped in the wind as she ran.

"Nothing can spoil this day!" Yamiaka said gleefully.

* * *

Two gunshots echoed through the air. A double barreled shotgun had smoke lifting gently from the front of it. The shooter had been pushed back into the wall from the force of the shot as he stared at the bloody mess in front of them. 

"Why..." began the shooter. "What did I do?" The man began to panic. He grabbed the pile of money lying in front of the bodies and stuffed it into his pocket. "If I hide the bodies, it'll take cops a little while to realize it..." he stammered.

He leaned over the bodies, and tried to think.

* * *

Yamiaka skipped gleefully back to her house. It was nice that her parents found a small little house on the edge of the city. It was extremely hard to find a single family these days. Yamiaka liked it more then an apartment building though. It was quieter. 

Usually, she would have gotten a ride home from school, but she had to walk today because her mom was busy packaging the cake, and her dad would just have gotten home a little while ago. It was alright though. Today she got to give Mrs. Chono the cake!

Yamiaka skipped up the front steps of the house, and pushed open the door.

"Mom! Dad! I'm home!" Yamiaka shouted. Her eyes wandered around the small house. Confused, she walked into the kitchen.

"Are you two hiding?" she asked. "Come on now! We have to bring-," she stopped as she stared at the pantry door. It wasn't closed all of the way. Her mother always made sure it was closed.

"That hiding spot is so obvious!" she grinned. She walked over to the pantry. With her eyes closed, and her face spread into a wide grin, she threw open the door.

"Hello!" Yamiaka was greeted only with silence. She opened her eyes. A loud screech echoed through the otherwise silent air. Yamiaka fell onto her butt, and slid herself away from the blood covered pantry as she screamed again.

Her mother's hand, which had been resting on the closed door fell to the ground. Yamiaka screamed for a third time. On the counter, a few feet behind the scene, was a cake with white frosting. Written in red gel, was Get Well Soon, Mrs. Ch. Splattered in different spots were blood stains.

* * *

An alarm clock sounded. 

It was the usual beeping. After about six beeps, Yamiaka rolled over and turned it off. She groaned, and rubbed her eyes.

"Yamiaka! Are you ready for school?" called a voice from the kitchen.

"Just getting up mom, give me about five minutes," Yamiaka responded.

Keeping to her word, Yamiaka was up and dressed for school in five or six minutes, and sat down at the table in the kitchen as a women at the counter continued to do whatever it was she was doing.

"So, what's for breakfast, mom?" Yamiaka asked. The women turned around, and there stared the brown haired, gentle face of Yamiaka's mother.

"We only have time for cold cereal. You slept in this morning." The women put on a mock-scolding voice, and shook her finger. Yamiaka laughed.

"Sorry," Yamiaka said. She ate her cereal for a while, before lifting her head to stare at her mother. "Did dad already leave for work?"

"Yes," responded her mother as she picked up the freshly emptied bowl from in front of Yamiaka. "But he told me to say 'have a nice day' for him. Now come on! Time for school. Grab your bag. I'll drive you today."

* * *

"Thanks for the ride back, mom," said Yamiaka. "Can we play a board game now?" 

"How about after diner?" suggested Mrs. Owaki. "I'm making teriyaki!"

"Alright!" shouted Yamiaka. "I can't wait until dad gets home!"

Mrs. Owaki smiled, as Yamiaka ran up the steps of her house, and into her bedroom. "I'm just gonna take a quick nap, know," said Yamiaka, and closed her door. She quickly jumped into her bed, and fell asleep.

* * *

_Yamiaka._

Yamiaka stirred in her sleep.

_Yamiaka, It's us, mom and dad._

Yamiaka nodded slightly. And continued to let the voices talk.

_Yamiaka, we're dead.

* * *

_

An alarm sounded. Yamiaka groaned, and reached over to turn it off. She sat up in bed.

"I must've fallen asleep for the night when I took that nap," Yamiaka said to herself.

"Yamiaka!" shouted a voice. "Breakfast!"

After hearing her stomach growl, she decided to respond immediately. Hoping out of bed, she walked on the cold wooden floor towards the kitchen.

"Hurry up and eat," said Mrs. Owaki. "I'll drive you again."

After breakfast, Yamiaka went out to the car, and waited for her mom, to start the car. Today was going to be another great day.

* * *

A man was walking down the sidewalk, muttering to himself. 

"Walk to work this way. It'll be faster!" he said mockingly. He stopped to check his watch. "Great! Eleven thirty," He scowled, and continued to walk, but stopped as something caught his eye. A young girl was just sitting in the back seat of a car. She looked like she'd been sitting there for a while. She checked what the man assumed was a watch, and then began rummaging through her bag for something. Intrigued, the man took a few steps closer.

Through the open window, he could hear the young girl saying, "Let's see," as she clicked open a lunch box. "Oh, peanut butter and jelly again?" The girl seemed to notice he was staring at her, because she then raised her hand.

"Teacher! There's a strange man watching me from outside the school!"

The man stared harder. Did she just say that the car was her school?

"Now, we can't have that, now can we?" said the girl, throwing her voice so it sounded deeper. She looked at the man.

"Go away! Now, or I'll call the police!" The man backed up a few paces. "There, Yamiaka, He's gone. Enjoy your lunch."

The man just stared as she ate her lunch, and through the trash on the floor. He was so confused by her actions, that he waited for her go back to staring blankly at the windshield of the car before he called the police.

* * *

"Welcome to your new home Yamiaka!" exclaimed an energetic voice. For a woman of forty, her aunt had a lot of pep. "Follow me to your room!" 

Yamiaka obeyed and followed her aunt up a long flight of stairs, and down a long hallway. A dim light flickered over the door to Yamiaka's new room. It quickly burnt out, and Yamiaka felt like her happiness had gone with it.

As the door creaked open, her aunt muttered something about her no good husband not oiling the doors like he said, before leading her towards a bed that looked like it belonged in a retirement home, and sitting down on it with Yamiaka.

"I know this has to be a tough time for you," began her Aunt, but Yamiaka had tuned her out. She waited for the clicking sound of the door as her aunt left before falling onto her side, and staring blankly at the bare wall in front of her view.

"How did it come to this?" she asked herself.

_Yamiaka stepped out onto her front porch as the sound of sirens came her way. Her mom had already turned away one before, so why were they back now? She watched in confusion as one stepped out of the cruiser._

_"Talk to the girl," he barked at the other police officer as he stepped out into the setting sun. "I'm going to check out the house,"_

_"What are you doing?" asked Yamiaka as the officer walked up to her house. Another one went up to her, and asked her about why she was sitting in the car all day today. She wasn't really listening as she watched the other officer inspect her house. It was when he walked into the kitchen that Yamiaka repeated herself._

_"What are you doing?" asked Yamiaka._

_"Oh my god!" shouted the officer. He walked up to the clean counter and stared at it for about five minutes with his hand over his mouth before seeming to notice a vile smell._

_"Where is that coming from?" the officer asked no one. He looked at the pantry._

_"What are you doing!" Yamiaka said more urgently. "Get away from there! Mommy, do something!"_

_Yamiaka stared as her mother just smiled. The officer reached for the pantry door and pried it open._

_"Stop!" Howled Yamiaka, running up to the officer. "Mommy said never to open the pantry!"_

_Too late._

_The door opened, and door bodies fell out. Yamiaka screamed for a minute, before looking around. The house was a mess. Bowls full of sour milk sat at the spot where Yamiaka always ate. On the counter was a blood-stained cake that was for Mrs. Chono. _

_Yamiaka screamed again, as an ambulance siren echoed through the air_

Yamiaka sat up in the bed as she remembered the events of the past few days.

_Yamiaka sat in a chair, holding a teddy bear. The psychiatrist talked to her aunt and uncle. _

_"She didn't accept their deaths when she first saw their bodies, and her mind created an entire fantasy world for her. It's quite common in young children in this sort of case."

* * *

_

A group of kids who looked around thirteen walked into the hospital. They seemed strangely out of place in the clean halls as they approached the front counter.

"We'd like to visit Yuichi Tayra, please. What room is he in?" asked one of the boys.

"I guess it's alright. The doctor said he's allowed visitors. I don't think you'll get much of a response though…" The nurse drifted off. She shook her head. "His room number is 207. Just take the elevator to the second floor, and head left."

The group followed the directions given, and reached Yuichi's room. They stared at him for a little while, before one of the girls began to cry.

"We should have been nicer to him!" she wailed.

"I guess you right," responded a boy. "Those rumors might have helped this happen." They sat there for a little while, before leaving Yuichi's comatose body alone in the sterile room.

* * *

Yamiaka stood up, and walked out of her room as her aunt called her. 

"Yamiaka! Dinner!" she screeched again as Yamiaka walked into the all white living room. "I made my special spaghetti in honor of your first night her! Right, dear?"

Her uncle grunted, and continued shoveling food in his mouth. "Here you go dear," said her aunt, handing her a plate of greasy spaghetti. Some of the grease must have been on the side of the plate, because all Yamiaka felt as she touched the plate was her fingers sliding off of it.

As the mess stained the carpet, her aunt just stared at her for a while before saying, "You clumsy little bitch!"

"Why to screw things up!" shouted the enormous blob that was her uncle. "Now get the paper towels from the kitchen, clean this mess up, and go to bed without dinner!"

Yamiaka ran up to her room crying an hour later. She tried flicking on the light but all she got was darkness. How did her life get this horrible in only a week? She jumped onto the bed, and began to cry even harder.

* * *

Yamiaka's new school required uniforms. All she saw when she got up was a crumpled up pile of cloths in her room, and a pair of sneakers. They obviously believed she was walking to school. 

Half an hour late, Yamiaka showed up at school.

"Why are you late?" demanded the teacher.

"I got up in plenty of time, but I had to walk all the way down here and-!" Yamiaka was cut off by the teacher, who immediately took a superior tone, and yelled at her.

"Young lady! We do not tolerate liars in this school! Take your seat next to Kiya over there!"

Yamiaka put her head down, and walked over to her seat as the class laughed at her. The girl who she sat next to, Kiya, smiled at her.

"Let's be friends!" she said with a grin.

"Really?" exclaimed Yamiaka. The entire class laughed even harder.

"As if Kiya would be friends with a loser like you!" some kid shouted.

"What happened to your hair?" exclaimed a girl. The entire class laughed even harder, and even Kiya joined in this time.

* * *

Yamiaka ran home, and pushed open the front door. 

"Watch where you're going, Bitch!" shouted her uncle. Yamiaka just stared before running up to her room.

* * *

Yamiaka stared at Kiya out in the school yard. Kiya just smiled and said, "Butcher Cut," as she pointed to Yamiaka's hair.

* * *

Yamiaka stared at her aunt. 

"You little bitch,"

* * *

Kiya just laughed at Yamiaka's hat. Then she smiled and said, "Loser."

* * *

Yamiaka came out of her room at night, and looked around for signs of her aunt or uncle, before realizing they were in the living room. She quietly stepped down the stairs, praying they wouldn't hear her, but she would be so lucky. 

"You are going to take our plates from dinner, and clean them. Do a good enough job, and I'll think about letting you have some cold pizza," growled her uncle.

Yamiaka sighed, and walked over to the plates. She hadn't even had them for five minutes before she dropped them. Her aunt made another greasy dinner. She turned around as she heard her uncle's snorts of fury. Yamiaka tried to sprint away, but her uncle had her by the arm before she could even reach the stairs.

"Where do you think your going, bitch!" hollered her uncle. "You pathetic excuse for a life! You'll pay for breaking that china!"

It was over in a second, and Yamiaka didn't even feel it right away. It took a while for the sting of the backhand to affect her. She stood up, and ran out of the house.

"Get back here!" yelled her Aunt.

"All I want is a family who cares about me!" cried Yamiaka. "Why? Help me!" she hollered.

The sound of skates raced towards her. Yamiaka saw a flashing grin of teeth before cold metal struck her in the head.

* * *

A couple walked into a tall building. They just watched the children playing behind the glass wall for a while before someone who worked their walked in. 

"Looking to adopt?" asked the fat women who approached them.

"Yes," answered the wife.

"You do know the amount of love a mentally challenged child requires, right?" the fat women inquired, and the couple nodded. "Great. In that case, let's go meet the children,"

As they walked around to the door, Yamiaka Owaki stared at them from behind the glass.

* * *

Okay! Another chapter down! There will be one more filler chapter, and then number six will continue the actual plot line involving Tsukiko. Thanks for reading! Please review. 


	5. PSYCHOTIC SHOOTING RANGE

Sorry this took so long. The chapter took a lot of thinking and I still don't enjoy the way it turned out, but it's your opinion that matters. Thank you for reviewing! In answer to some reviews:

Yuka: I realized I misspelled her name after the first chapter was posted. I wasn't going to take the time to fix her name by reposting the first chapter when no one else seemed to mind. Thank you for your review, and if you are reading the story, please enjoy it.

* * *

A man sat quietly in the small cubicle allotted to him for his work space. He wasn't a tall person, but seemed as if he was a giant in the small cubicle. A clock on the wall next to him ticked softly in correspondence to the sound the computer keys made as he typed.

His short brown hair was graying around the edges and didn't exist on the highest point of his head. Small wrinkles were forming on the outer corners of his eyes. The only sign of youth left in the middle-aged man was in the sparkling blue eyes he had.

The man had finished typing, and carefully studied the article flashing on the screen. He gave a small smile, and saved the document before printing it.

* * *

"What is this crap?" shouted a fat man, throwing the stack of papers back at the man who handed them to him. "Yoshina, do you even know what your job is?" Yoshina started to defend himself, but the fat man cut him off. "Your job to find and print interesting news, not..." the fat man grabbed one of the papers he threw and crumpled it. "This trash!"

Yoshina stared at the floor of the fat man's office. "I thought it would be interesting…"

"You thought!" shouted the fat man. "Please explain why people would want to know about 'community trash pick-up'?" Yoshina felt crushed. He thought he had done a good job.

"Look at these articles!" shouted the fat man as he pulled out other people's work. "Ice cream shop run by a psychotic man! Shooting range found with asbestos in walls!" The fat man threw the papers on his desk so they formed a strange phrase.

PSYCHOTIC SHOOTING RANGE

"Try to get a good story by tomorrow, or you're fired!" shouted the fat man. Yoshina gathered his story, and walked out of the office.

* * *

A small apartment was cluttered with junk. Cloths were thrown carelessly over a couch and the armchair. A sock hung off of the tip of the TV antennae by its rim. A trash bin was overflowing with garbage, and the sink was full of dirty dishes. The vertical blue stripes that were painted on the wallpaper were graying with age. The wallpaper itself was beginning to peel. A rug that looked like it had once cost a fortune lay on the dusty hardwood floor, tarnished and covered with cigarette ashes. The entire scene was illuminated by the TV's gray glow from a static covered picture. It was into this mess, that Yoshina walked when he opened his front door.

Yoshina sighed as he saw that the person, who had been staying with him for the past week, and also the cause of majority of the mess, was gone. A small note was taped to his door, and Yoshina read it before he had even put down his suit case.

_The next time I spend a week with you, you could at least bother to clean up the mess. You're out of cheese puffs, and you should get cable. _

Yoshina sighed again, and dropped his suitcase. He didn't even have to try and make out the cheese powder covered signature. He knew his son was gone once again, off back to his mother to get all the money he wanted while he knew his father couldn't even afford basic cable.

Yoshina pulled off the jacket of his suit. He turned the handle to a door at the end of a short hallway, and pushed against it with his shoulder to pry apart the stuck wood of the frame and the door itself. The aged writer simply collapsed into his bed, and glanced briefly at a clock as he turned the alarm on.

Midnight. Great. He had to be in work in six hours. Usually, Yoshina worked six to five every Monday to Saturday, and spent his Sunday's researching the story that was supposed to be finished by then.

The magazine he worked at was one of the most popular and widely read in all of Japan. It was a gossip magazine dishing dirt from every popular view there was at that time. The general reason it was purchased by a consumer was for the dirt on famous idles.

Yoshina worked in the "Public Places and Community" section. Someone new to the magazine would believe that the section would contain articles much like the one his boss had thrown back at him. Instead they were just the opposite. All those articles did were expand on small rumors and destroy the business of a kind old man's ice cream shop.

When Yoshina got his major in journalism, he never thought that he would be working in something like this. He wanted to work in a newspaper, investigating actual crimes and writing about community improvements. Even better, he wanted to write his own short stories in a column. But when Yoshina applied, all he would ever get was;

_We appreciate the time you took to write your story, but your work does not meet the criteria we're looking for. Thank you again, but-_

That was about as far as Yoshina got before tossing the crumpled remains of the letter into the trash. Now he'd given up, and the most he did, was type in his own spare time. All that was left for him was a dead end job that was most likely going to end tomorrow.

The shot gun that he kept in a small rack above his bed glistened in the moonlight. It was a gift to him from his father a long time ago, but he never used it. He didn't like hunting. But what did this matter?

Yoshina closed his eyes, and just hoped he could keep the last thing allowing him to hang on when he woke up the next morning.

* * *

The black haired man smiled as he walked up to the small house on the outskirts of the city. He wore a sleek black suit along, and carried a classic shotgun. No one lived around the area besides this family, so no one would hear the blasts. It wasn't that he enjoyed killing, it was more like a bad habit. Besides, he needed the money.

He kicked in the front door. A husband and wife had been standing together in the living room. They had apparently been discussing something before he broke in. Now the wife screamed in fear, and the husband stared in disbelief as sweat began to stream down his face.

"Gimme all the money in this place," slurred the dark haired man. The wife sobbed a little, but the husband told her to wait here and be careful not to say anything. The man just smiled as the husband ran to get the money from some secret hiding place.

"Now, now," said the man to the women as she cried. "I'm only going to shoot one of you." She looked up in horror. The husband walked in the pile of money and he pulled his wife up to stand with him as he stretched one arm out to the black haired man to hand him the money.

"Who are you?" asked the husband. "Why are you doing this?"

The black haired man just smiled before saying "My name is Kuruni," He readied the shotgun. "And I do this for fun." He pulled the trigger. Twice.

* * *

Yoshina shot up in bed, drenched in sweat. It was like he had been watching a movie; only, it was based on the story he was typing. It was only four in the morning, but Yoshina didn't care. He booted up the computer that most people would have considered an antique.

He pulled up the typing program, and opened his latest story. He read the first few parts.

_The black haired man smiled as he walked up to the small house on the outskirts of the city. He wore a sleek black suit along, and carried a classic shotgun. No one lived around the area besides this family, so no one would hear the blasts. It wasn't that he enjoyed killing, it was more like a bad habit. Besides, he needed the money. _

_He kicked in the front door. A husband and wife had been standing together in the living room. They had apparently been discussing something before he broke in. Now the wife screamed in fear, and the husband stared in disbelief as sweat began to stream down his face. _

It was the same as his dream. What was up with this?

Yoshina shook his head dismissively. What was he thinking? He was just under too much stress to get his article. A faint beeping sounded on the other end of his apartment. Yoshina sighed, shut down his computer, and got ready for work.

* * *

He just sat their, in the cubicle. He stared at the blank computer screen in front of him, and then glanced at the ever ticking clock. It was already four thirty. He only had an hour and a half to think of an article. What was he going to do?

Yoshina went back to staring at the screen. Something caught his eye in the bottom left of the screen. An icon of a man in a black suit carrying a shotgun walked onto the screen. He turned towards Yoshina and smiled, lifting the shotgun into an aim.

Yoshina blinked, and just as quickly as it had appeared, it disappeared. Yoshina blinked a few more times to be sure his mind was done with tricks, and focused his attention towards the ominous clock looming on the wall.

_Five o'clock_! Yoshina began to sweat. _This can't be happening. I need more time, I need more time, I need…_

A shadow loomed over Yoshina's desk. He looked up, and saw the fat man. His boss. The fat man shook his head. "Still nothing?" muttered his boss.

"I just need a little more time. Just a little more then the hour left." Yoshina was talking so fast, that his sentences couldn't be told apart. "Just an hour and a half, tops! I can-!"

"You don't even have that hour," said the fat man. "You're fired,"

* * *

Yoshina sat on the cloth ridden couch of his apartment, staring at the crackling TV placed in front of him.

_"You don't even have that hour, you're fired."_

That was a week ago, and Yoshina was still out of a job. He didn't know what to do. He owed so much money. Bills were being sent in final notice forms, companies were calling him left to right, and to top it all off, his son was demanding more money for college. Yoshina was lost in what he should do.

He glanced up at a glimmering from his room. Shining in the pale sunlight was the double barreled shotgun he had on his wall. Maybe he could just ask a few people for money using it as a motivator…

Yoshina shook his head furiously. He should never have even begun to think that. He grabbed the half empty cup of water sitting in front of him, and dragged himself towards his bedroom.

"Didn't I say I needed money for college?" yelled a voice that came out of the top of a phone.

"I'm sorry," responded Yoshina. "I'm just between jobs and…"

"I didn't call for your crap!" shouted the other voice. Yoshina flinched. "I want the money by Friday," A click was followed by a dial tone, and Yoshina hung up the phone. He glanced towards his right, and the gun sparkled again.

* * *

Friday came faster then Yoshina expected. Needless to say, he still didn't have a job. When the phone rang, Yoshina was hesitant to pick it up, but didn't have much other choice. "Hello," said Yoshina gravely.

"Time's up," said an obnoxious voice from the other end of the phone. "I now officially hate you, and enjoy the fact that I never have to see you again," The phone went dead in mid-conversation, and it didn't take Yoshina long to realize that the power had been cut.

The shotgun sparkled marvelously in the moon light from the window, and this time, Yoshina didn't ignore it. It seemed to slide off what was being used to hold it and right into Yoshina's hands. Tomorrow, someone was going to make a donation.

* * *

Yoshina walked up to a small house on the far side of a town. He caressed the shotgun in his hands as he walked, and had a blank face on. The house was separated from other places, so the sounds of a blast would go unnoticed. No, that was morbid. He wouldn't have to pull the trigger.

The front door was open a crack. He kicked it open after a minute's hesitation, and saw a woman putting what looked like the finishing touches onto a cake. A man had been sitting on the couch of the living room the front door opened up to, but was now standing, and staring at the weapon in fear.

"Give me all of the money you have in this place," demanded Yoshina. The wife didn't hesitate and ran as fast as she could towards the back of the kitchen, and came out holding a rather large roll of money. The husband stood absolutely still.

Yoshina gave a faint grin, and then his trigger finger twitched. No, it seemed to pull the trigger out of its own free will. Yoshina just watched in horror.

Two gunshots echoed through the air. The double barreled shotgun had smoke lifting gently from the front of it. Yoshina had been pushed back into the wall from the force of the shot as he stared at the bloody mess in front of him.

"Why..." began Yoshina. "What did I do?" He began to panic. He grabbed the pile of money lying in front of the bodies and stuffed it into his pocket. "If I hide the bodies, it'll take cops a little while to realize it..." he stammered.

He leaned over the bodies, and tried to think. Looking around, he noticed a pantry. Without thinking much more, he dragged the bodies towards the wooden doors and shoved them inside. Yoshina ran out of the house, and slammed the front door behind him.

* * *

Kuruni wasn't satisfied with just that house. He needed more. More money. The old couple had barely held enough money in their possession to buy him a weeks worth of beer. Dissatisfied and disgruntled, he shoved off to another house on the other side of town, and repeated the job he had performed only a few days ago.

* * *

Yoshina shot up in bed soaked in sweat. Another dream based on that damn story he typed up. Something flashed through his mind, and he remembered what had taken place a few hours earlier. He got up out of bed. Maybe it was a dream too? Maybe that couple never really was shot?

His hopes were quickly crushed.

Lying on the coffee table in front of him was a pile of money. It wasn't a dream. He really killed someone. Two. He killed two people.

The sun began to shine through the few windows in his apartment. The shades created a bar light affect on his face. He walked over to the window, and drew the blinds. The city bustled with noise below him. Life would just keep moving, even without those two. Majority of the world wouldn't even know they were gone.

The phone ringing brought Yoshina's attention back to his apartment. He walked over to it and picked it off the receiver.

"Why can't you even give our son the money he deserves?" screeched a voice soon after Yoshina greeted with "Hello?" His wife was actually calling him. "I mean, all I want is for you to chip in on the expenses your son…"

Yoshina let his mind wander. Ignoring her seemed to be the smartest choice right now, even if he wasn't doing it intentionally. A pile of money had caught his attention, and seemed to be drawing him in.

"I have it,"

"What?" stopped the voice. "What did you say?"

"I have the money,"

"Good!" exclaimed the voice. "See? Everyone respects you if you pay them! Send it all, now!"

* * *

The money hadn't been enough. The bill still had a lot left on it, and Yoshina needed the money. His son might even visit him if he could pay the bill. That justified why he carried a shotgun with him as he kicked in the door of another rare single family.

Three gunshots echoed down the street. A stray tiger cat was the only thing that heard the noises.

* * *

Kuruni laughed to himself. Robbing families was too easy. That's why he began to move up to convenience stores.

* * *

Yoshina's mind raced. He couldn't even remember why he was doing this anymore. All he cared about was shooting. He sprinted up to a small store with the shotgun in his arms. He jumped through the first door and immediately shot the store clerk. An old lady screamed, and a couple of kids coward with their mother.

His first target was the old lady. No one liked the old. He shoved the gun barrel at her stomach and pulled the trigger again. Laughing to himself, Yoshina ran up to the mother and children. The mother stepped in front to protect her kids.

"Why are you doing this?" cried the mother. Yoshina stopped laughing, and stared at her. "Why are you doing this?" she repeated, hysterical.

"I…" Yoshina stared at the gun in his hands, and then smiled again. "Because I can,"

"But you're killing so many!" cried the women. "And for what? To cause grief? If you truly do have no reason, then please! Stop!"

Yoshina was about to pull to trigger when he looked at the freezer door behind the women. He could see a reflection. Kuruni was standing where Yoshina should've been. Behind Kuruni, a little kid was rollerblading towards the store.

He couldn't have been in more then middle school. He had a red cap on with three pins. As the automatic doors to the store opened, he saw that the kid had a sleeveless pull over on. A metal bat was raised, and Yoshina felt the pain as the bat was brought down on Kuruni's head.

Yoshina just fell on the floor, and the last thing he saw was his own reflection back in the freezer as his world faded.

* * *

An attorney talked in a low voice to a thin women and a tall young man sitting in the chairs in front of him. They were all wearing black.

"He had a life insurance policy. It amazes me how he could afford one," said the attorney. "You'll get all the money he was insured for along with his possessions-!"

"Keep them," shot the women. "All we want is the money." The attorney stared for a few seconds, and then nodded, and the two stood up and walked out of the office.

"Do we have to stay for his funeral?" whined the voice of the young man.

"No," said the women. "He finally paid what we wanted. He was only good for something in death."

The women pushed open the front door and started walking down a long path. The building was only a few meters away from a cemetery. It was a perfect location for those who just wanted to do business. The pair walked along the path and passed a coffin that was above ground. They got into the car and drove off as the picture of Yoshina gleamed in the inappropriate sunlight.

* * *

Again, sorry this took so long. Please review, and I should have the sixth chapter up by next week regardless if you don't. Thanks for reading. 


	6. SOLITARY CONFINEMENT

I know, I took an unnecessarily long time, but I had a huge project due for school, and a whole bunch of other stuffs. Please don't hate the story for it.

Thanks for reviewing. Sorry about the Maniwa thing.

* * *

The sun shone brilliantly on the metallic objects that occupied the very out-of-area park. A slide made entirely of steel would have blinded anyone who glanced at it. Swings were tossed carelessly in the wind that spewed dust across the area. A little before the swing set, a long trail of chalk-drawn equations was also being disturbed by the wind.

This didn't affect the one writing out and solving the problem. His practically photographic memory kept everything in his head. After he finished writing the long string of numbers he topped it off with a pair of parallel horizontal lines that symbolized for someone to write the solution to the problem.

Mitsuhiro Maniwa dropped the chalk and pushed himself up into a kneeling position. He wiped the sweat off his brow, and stared at the numbers in front of him. His eyes widened as his pupils shrank. Quickly, Manwa ran his finger along a few trails of numbers. He couldn't be right. There was no way that-

He _was_ right.

In a flash, he stood up, and stared up at the sky. He was back. The Golden Shoes was back.

* * *

Tsukiko sat up in her bed as the sunlight began to shine through the window of her apartment. Was it all a dream?

_Night had fallen. Tsukiko walked towards her apartment building, careful not to wander down any alleys. As she reached the building, a feeling of foreboding came over her. Something was wrong._

_The climb up the stairs seemed to take no time at all, but it seemed to take a while for her to get her keys out. The fight with her pocket to retrieve the keys ended with them falling onto the carpeted floor. She reached down to grab them, but instead came up with a piece of paper._

_Maromi seemed to stare at her from the paper._

_Tsukiko gave a sharp cry, grabbed her keys, and shoved them into the lock. She got the door open, practically jumped into her house, and slammed it shut behind her. As she circled around to sit down on her couch, she saw something that caused her to drop her bag onto the floor._

_A Maromi doll was sitting on the couch. It looked up at Tsukiko._

_"Tsukiko," Maromi said. "He's back,"_

Tsukiko sat up in her bed, and let her feet touch the cold carpet beneath them. Maybe it had been? Maybe things were still normal.

She stood up and stretched a little before she heard it. A faint tapping noise. Tsukiko turned to face the source of the noise, and saw something tapping on the glass of her window. Something pink that was looking intently at something else on the pavement down on the street. Tsukiko couldn't care less about what its vision showed it. The pink dog was enough to make Tsukiko scream.

Tsukiko had collapsed onto her backside as Maromi turned around and ran over to her. Her screams almost completely drowned out the small voice of the plush animal.

"Tsukiko! Stop!" exclaimed the animal. "It's okay! I'm here to help you!"

"I don't need your help!" shouted Tsukiko. Her voice was hysterical, and she'd scooted back a few paces. "Please, leave!" Maromi jumped off the bed, and looked at the manila folder Tsukiko had knocked over in her shock. Opening it, the dog saw a whole arsenal of other drawings. His eyes narrowed.

"These have been telling you I'm a bad person, haven't they?" whispered the dog in an evil voice, not once bothering to look up at Tsukiko. "Go away!" he shouted as he ripped Tsukiko's drawings into shreds.

"Stop it!" cried Tsukiko, starting to cry a little. "Why don't_ you _go away?" Maromi stared at her with his large eyes. Those damned eyes. Then he jumped up on top of Tsukiko as she screamed again.

"What's wrong, Tsukiko?" asked Maromi. "We need each other to beat Lil' Slugger,"

"You're wrong!" Tsukiko exclaimed. "He's not back! Go away!" With her last words, she grabbed the doll off of her, and threw it against the wall opposing her bed, just above the TV. She got up as fast as she could, and ran out of her room, closing the door behind her. She slid back down to the floor and panted.

"That wasn't nice, Tsukiko."

Tsukiko looked up in horror to see Maromi sitting on her couch.

"Get out!" She cried again. She wasn't going back down this road again. Last time, she had almost gone completely insane. Without even thinking this time, she grabbed the dog, and a knife.

"Tsukiko, what are you doing?" asked Maromi. "Aren't we friends?" Tsukiko stopped in mid-air as she was about to plunge the knife into the cotton filled dog.

"What?" Tsukiko was now crying without hesitation as she stared at the small stuffed creature sitting in her hand.

"We are friends," Maromi said. "We need to be together," the dog began to climb up her arm and head towards her neck. He wrapped his arms around it in a gentle hug. "Just me and you. We can beat Lil' Slugger again. After all, it is not your fault,"

Tsukiko's eyes widened, and then slammed shut as she continued to cry. "It _is_ my fault. I accepted that, and that's why he left! All you did was try and hide the problem until it grew worse…and…worse," she was starting to hiccup a little. She repositioned the knife so that it was pointing at the head of the dog, and at her throat.

* * *

Janyce walked happily around her morning. It was another beautiful day, and the world seemed to be smiling. He long green dress was neat, and her whole apartment shone with a brilliance that matched her chestnut colored hair. She'd even rented a great movie! The case that was laying on her kitchen table was labeled "Solitary Confinement."

SOLITARY CONFINEMENT

Everything was perfect. She looked out her window to get a perfect view of the city.

Her intent gaze was rewarded with the sight of a woman in the apartment building across the street from her holding a knife to her own throat.

"Oh my god!" she cried. She ran over to the phone, and picked it up off the charger. Before she dialed 911, she looked out the window again and saw the woman drop the knife and sit down out of view of the window. Janyce hung up the phone, and tried to push the strange events out of her thoughts.

* * *

Tsukiko knelt on the carpeted floor of her apartment. Maromi stood beside her, and next to him was where the knife had landed when Tsukiko dropped it.

"I couldn't do it," she whispered. Why? Why couldn't she destroy the one thing that had tormented so much of her life?

"It is not you fault, Tsukiko," Maromi whispered again. "Just rest for know," soothed Maromi. "Take the day off," As much as Tsukiko didn't want to listen to the dog, she shook her head, and sat down on the couch. Looked like she was going to be taking the day off.

* * *

Maniwa ran up the steps of the apartment building he knew was Tsukiko's. If Lil' Slugger was back, that meant that Maromi was back, and He had to get to her before the dog did. A few more steps, and he reached the second floor.

He knocked on Tsukiko's apartment, and waited for a response. On the other side of the door, Maromi was holding himself up with the deadbolt and looking out the peep hole. Seeing Manwa, he shifted his weight to lock Tsukiko's door, and said "Go away!"

Maniwa knocked a few more times before deciding Tsukiko must have gone to work. Good. That meant she was safe for another day. Maromi wouldn't want to leave the apartment. He slid a note under the door, and walked away from the apartment.

* * *

When Tsukiko awoke, it was night again. Maromi seemed to be holding a piece of paper. She immediately shot up and walked over to the dog. She made a grab for the note, but Maromi jumped aside.

"This note is nothing but a bad thing," said Maromi. "It tells you more bad things. That stupid old Maniwa wrote it,"

Tsukiko's stared blankly for a few seconds, and then made another lunge at the note. If Maniwa wrote it, the detective who realized the truth before anyone else, then the note was definitely important.

Maromi jumped again, and walked over to the open window. "This is where it belongs," Tsukiko ran over to the window, and leaned out the window to try and get it.

"Tsukiko, what are you doing?"

She needed that note. Maybe it would explain what was going on. All she saw before the wind took it away from the perch it had landed on was "Meet me in the old park at eleven tonight."

* * *

Janyce was careful to avoid looking out her window all afternoon long. She didn't want to be a peeping tom. It was the off-chance that she gave in to her urge to look when she saw it. The woman across the street was now dangling dangerously out her window. This woman was trying to kill herself!

Janyce didn't look twice this time when she picked up the phone and dialed the three digits.

* * *

Tsukiko practically ran out of her apartment once she changed into the clothes she usually wore for work, and grabbed her bag. She _did_ run when she was on the dark night streets. Maromi had immediately objected, but Tsukiko didn't even listen this time. Thankfully, the dog didn't follow her.

Maniwa was, luckily, waiting in the park like the note said. He had changed from when Tsukiko met him, and she didn't understand how only two, almost three, years could make someone look so much older.

"Tsukiko!" he exclaimed. Tsukiko panted for a little while, and then responded.

"What is it you needed to say?" Tsukiko asked. This had better be important.

"You can't let Maromi back in," Maniwa said. That was it? That was all he had to offer? "The dog will only worsen the situation! The golden shoes is back, and you yourself have no power over his existence this time,"

"What?" asked Tsukiko with a blank look on her face. What else could cause Little Slugger to come back?

"The victims who felt salvation," began Maniwa. "The people who first felt his temporary escape into happiness from their usual disturbed states couldn't forget it once they slipped back into their paranoia. Their minds combined in effort to receive his help once more gave him life again. This rebirth grew with each old victim, and he finally gained the power to attack random people again,"

Tsukiko just stared. They had called him. Lil' Slugger and Maromi were back because they had _called_ him. Called out to him, and hoped for salvation. They still needed to rely on him.

"Maromi will do nothing but lead you into madness," Maniwa said. "Do not let him take advantage of you," Maniwa began to sweat. "We have to stop him, we have to find a way," he started to ramble.

Tsukiko just stared as he dropped to the ground and began to write out equations furiously on the hard dirt. He wrote faster and faster, and just kept mumbling. She backed up a few steps, and then she heard it.

It was a sound that had haunted her dreams for the past two years, and one that made her paralyzed with fear. The sound of roller blades and the occasional scraping of a metal bat. Tsukiko whipped around to see Lil' Slugger racing towards her.

She was going to become a victim. She was finally going to feel the wrath of the cold, golden steel. Tsukiko shut her eyes and waited, but she never felt the blow. She only heard it, and turned to face Manwa, lying face down on the dirt.

Lil' Slugger swung the bat up onto his shoulder and skated towards her. His grin revealed his large teeth, and the red cap he wore in combination with the street lamp near by caused his eyes to be invisible in a cloud of darkness.

"Did you kill him?" gasped Tsukiko. Lil' Slugger, keeping his usual taciturn manner, responded by shaking his head symbolizing 'no'. "Why are you back?" Silence met her ears.

"Society doesn't need you!" Tsukiko said with a tone of defiance. "All you do is cause problems and claim that you're helping people. I needed you because of _my_ mistakes. But I don't need you anymore! You don't exist without me, and now I don't need you!"

Little Slugger pushed himself towards her, and stopped only a few inches away from her. He forced his neck upwards, and stared deep into Tsukiko's eyes. He whispered only a few words, but they immediately sent chills down the woman's spine. "And I don't need you,"

He lifted the baseball bat above his head.

Tsukiko ran as fast as she could in the opposite direction. The initial swing he took missed just a little, and he was already preparing for another strike. She just kept running back towards her apartment. She didn't much care for having to return to the dog, but at least Maromi wasn't trying to kill her.

She just kept running-a difficult task in the small heels she was wearing-and didn't even stop when she saw a police car and an ambulance with their sirens on nearby. In only a few seconds, she had pushed open her front door, and closed it behind her. Maromi sat on the couch, as usual.

"I told you not to go, Tsukiko," said Maromi. Tsukiko lost her temper on the dog.

"This is all you're fault!" cried Tsukiko. "You're the reason this is happening again!" Tsukiko charged at the creature. She grabbed the same knife she had tried to destroy Maromi with earlier. "I'm going to kill you before you kill me!"

Tsukiko slipped, and all the police on the other side of the door of her apartment heard was 'kill me'. When Tsukiko realized she had cut her wrist in the fall, the police burst into her house.

Tsukiko was growing dizzy from loss of blood. She thought she heard someone ask why she did this to herself. All Tsukiko could say before she passed out was "Maromi…fault…"

* * *

When Tsukiko woke up, she was in a hospital gown. He wrist had been bandaged, and she couldn't move. Was she being held down by Maromi? No, she was strapped to the stretcher she was laying on.

"What's happening?" Tsukiko's voice was hysterical.

"She's awake," said one of the people pushing her stretcher. "Should I sedate her?"

"No," said another one. Probably a doctor. "We're almost at the solitary confinement rooms. Don't want to waist the sedative,"

Tsukiko screamed as the stretcher squeaked every now and then. Just this morning her life had been normal again. Now she was being pushed to some solitary room in a building that she didn't know. Tsukiko cursed Maromi, and screamed again.

* * *

Okay, everything's all set now. Sorry about before, and please review.


	7. INSUFFERABLE WITHDRAWEL

Thanks to the people who reviewed. I figured out how this whole thing's going to end, although I really am not sure how many chapters are left. In answer to some reviews,

Sexyshonenbat: To be honest, I didn't put the braces thing in there intentionally. That one was a mistake. And, for the Maniwa thing, I spelt his name Manwa because that was how the actual paranoia agent website spelt his name as such. After checking my DVDs, I realized that I did spell it wrong, and I apologize. But, honestly, who would think the actual website would spell his name wrong? Thank you for reviewing, and pointing out my mistakes.

I also replaced chapter 6 so it was fixed. Thank you.

* * *

A woman who looked to be in her early twenties danced in a wild manner to the beat of techno music as it played throughout the club. Flashing strobe lights changing from blue to yellow made her red dress that ended just above the knee caps change from purple to brown. Her long black hair swayed opposite the way she moved, and her ankle-high boots made an inaudible clacking sound on the smooth floor.

"Hey Mari!" shouted another women, also roughly in her twenties. She danced right next to the woman in the red dress. "I'm getting a drink, want something?" Mari nodded.

"Get me something small and strong," Mari said, laughing. Then she stood still for a minute. "I have to go the bathroom. I'll meet you at the bar." Her friend nodded, and Mari made her way through the crowd of people towards the door with a stick figure wearing a dress. She pushed open the door, and checked her dirty surroundings for others before locking the door behind her.

She pulled a small vial filled with a white substance from her small handbag. Mari walked over to the sink, and after a little while, ducked down. As she went down, a few words written in lipstick on the mirror became visible.

INSUFFERABLE WITHDRAWEL

Mari stood up, rubbing her nose, and dropped the now empty vile in a toilet, and then flushed. Smiling, she walked over to the bathroom door, nearly tripping on the way, and tried pulling on the door three times before realizing it was locked. She laughed, and went back out to the club.

* * *

Tsukiko sat down in the corner of a room with padded walls. Her forehead was resting on her knees, which were being hugged close to her by her arms. How did she wind up in this place? She didn't do anything. It was only a few days ago that she had been thrown in here, but it felt like an eternity. The meals were cold, she was only let out of her room a few times a day to be escorted to the bathroom, and she was treated like she was retarded.

At least that damn dog hadn't shown up. If everything else had gone wrong, that at least had gone right. All she had to do was find out why she was being held here, and convince the people working here otherwise. Maybe things would work out.

Convincing herself that things would work out gave her a calm that lasted a matter of seconds. As soon as the clock had struck two AM, a gentle sound filled her ears. The sound of someone rollerblading.

The sound grew louder and louder. It was getting closer. He was coming to attack her. The noise sounded like it was only a few rooms away from her. Tsukiko slammed her eyes shut as the noise reached her door and-

And nothing happened. When Tsukiko looked up at the barred window attached to her door, there was nothing there. He hadn't shown up. Thank god. Maybe now she could sleep.

Tsukiko didn't fall asleep until the window way above her reach in her room showed that the sun was rising.

* * *

Mari sat up on her bed in the three-roomed apartment she lived in. The sun was blinding and made her head throb. Through squinting eyes, she found her way over to the window and pulled the blinds. What did she do last night?

_A women who Mari acknowledged as a friend was staring at her. "Here you go!" exclaimed the other woman. "Small and strong!" She smiled. But then her face turned to one of concern. _

_"What's wrong?" she asked, as Mari managed to spill the drink as soon as she took it. "Are you alright?" _

The memory started to fade as Mari's head throbbed. Maybe she needed something to drink. She stumbled into the kitchen and turned on the coffee maker. Thank god she ground the beans the night before. She remembered one time that she hadn't.

Mari pulled up a seat at the small kitchen island, and noticed her purse tossed carelessly on top of it. She reached over to it, and shuffled through the contents. After a little while, she realized it was gone.

"Time to get more," she said with a frown. Already? She'd only purchased the stuff a few nights ago. Oh well. It's not like she had a shortage of money.

Mari walked over to the couch only a few feet away, and turned on the TV. The sound of a newscaster giving a report filled the room. Groaning, Mari turned the volume down to its second lowest setting, and then listened to the morning report.

"The string of violent attacks on the city has suddenly come to a halt. The attacks, which had started occurring almost nightly, have stopped in the past two days with no suspect captured yet. Police had no comment on the matter,"

"And in local news, notorious drug dealer Moshitori Tiyoko was captured and brought in to custody."

"No," whispered Mari.

"He still refuses to talk, but police believe they can get him to by nightfall."

Mari breathed in a couple of times before seeming to make a decision. It's alright. Al she had to do was find another dealer. Then everything would be alright. Tonight she would go looking.

* * *

Tsukiko sat in a small and dark room. A single beam of light coming from a tabletop lamp was the only thing that let her see. Sitting across from her was a doctor with a nametag and glasses. Both of which were difficult to see and it would have been an impossible feat to read the tag.

"So, Tsukiko," said the doctor. "Why do you think the world would be better without you?" Tsukiko just stared.

"Excuse me?" she asked. The doctor went on as if she hadn't spoken.

"Let me tell you something," he started, leaning towards her. "It wouldn't be. You have a great job, no shortage of money, and the world is never rainy in your prospective. So…why?"

"Excuse me, but why _what_?" asked Tsukiko. She was getting aggravated. This time, surprisingly enough, the doctor answered her.

"You know what. Why do you want to kill yourself?" asked the man sitting across from her. Tsukiko stood up.

"You think I'm suicidal?" exclaimed Tsukiko.

"You _are_," said the doctor, his tone remaining the same. "The sooner you admit your problems, the sooner we can begin treatment."

"I'm not trying to commit suicide!" Tsukiko said in her defense. "Why would I? You said it yourself, I have no reason to!"

"Which is why we need to find that reason," said the doctor. He had started an annoying habit of letting a pen drop on a table and then picking it up again. Tsukiko didn't much care.

"Why would you say I'm suicidal?" she asked, sitting back down.

"Well," began the doctor. "Aside from the two accounts reported by your neighbor, we saw that you had cut yourself on the wrist,"

"No I didn't!" exclaimed Tsukiko. "I slipped and fell while holding a knife!" Even as she said the words, Tsukiko realized how stupid they sounded. What kind of idiot fell holding a knife? And who would believe her if she said she was chasing a stuffed dog? Even if it was true?

"I can see were not making any progress today," said the doctor. "Someone will take you back to your room shortly,"

"No!" shrieked Tsukiko, remembering Little Slugger. "I'm not suicidal!" Two men had appeared in the doorway, and began to gently push her out of the room. Tsukiko stopped yelling. There was no point. According to everyone here, she was a nut case. Tsukiko's shoulders slumped, and she went back to the corner of the room as the door was closed behind her.

* * *

Mari drove around one of the worst parts of her town as she looked for something. They had to be somewhere. If she could just find them- There!

Mari pulled her car to the side of the road next to a couple of teens who were laughing and standing next to each other in a dark alley. She ran towards the alley, and stopped in front of the kids.

"Where did you get your stuff?" she asked. The kids laughed a little more, and then stared.

"What?" one asked.

"Where did you get your damn fix?" she screeched.

"Whoa, calm down," said the other one. "How do you even know we like that stuff?"

Mari stared at the one who just said that. A few drops of rain began to fall on the scene. She grabbed one of them by the caller as it started to rain even harder. "Where did you get it?" she yelled, shaking him. Fear crossed the teen's face.

"J-just down the street!" he gasped. "The dealer already left, but he'll be back tomorrow!" Mari dropped the kid and got back in her car. The tires squealed as she floored the car to get it started, and she left the two teens staring in shock.

* * *

Tsukiko sat in silence in her padded room. Night had fallen only a few hours ago, but Tsukiko had barely noticed. She wasn't suicidal. What neighbor had it been, anyway? Tsukiko lived in a small apartment with only one window in the living room and one in her bedroom.

It had to be the window. Someone saw her battling Maromi at all of the wrong times. But if someone had been watching her, they would have had to see Maromi. The pink think isn't exactly discrete. Even from another apartment building.

But there was only one apartment building across the street that was in visibility of her window. Maybe it was her. Maybe it was that over-happy nutcase who Tsukiko could see dancing by herself in her apartment. What was wrong with her? She was the one who belonged here, not Tsukiko.

Tsukiko's eyes narrowed as her mind circled every aspect of her situation. It was so wrapped up in thoughts that she didn't notice the sound at first. Tsukiko was so absorbed in trying to blame her that she didn't notice anything until a gentle banging sounded. Tsukiko looked up to see Lil' Slugger hanging up on the window of the door.

Tsukiko screamed as loud as she could.

* * *

Ted hated his job. All he ever did was lock the cells, and then go back to his office and monitor them by camera. At least he had a system. He'd never forget to lock one of these nutcase's cells because he kept the keys in his pocket. The cells he locked he kept in his right pocket, and the cells he didn't he kept in his left. It was a foul-proof system.

That was what he thought until a patient screamed. His automatic reflex was to check his left pocket. He felt one key held tightly by the fabric. Whoops. He turned around and ran back down a hall he thought he locked an hour ago.

* * *

Tsukiko screamed again as Lil' Slugger pushed open her door and raised his bat. She slammed her eyes shut and hoped for the best. A few seconds passed, and she felt something cold clutched in her hands. She opened her eyes, and saw Lil' Slugger's bat in her grip.

One of the doctors and the security guards came into her room.

"Oh my god!" exclaimed the doctor. "With a baseball bat, now?" He grabbed the bat from Tsukiko's grips, and handed it to the guard. Surprised, the guard ripped his hand out of his pocket, and grabbed the object being handed to him.

"I don't know why you are trying to do this, but I'm not going to let you," said the doctor. The guard had left with the bat. He was probably returning to the security desk. "Tomorrow, we're going to talk about this."

The doctor turned and walked out of the room. He closed it, and pulled out a key from his pocket, and locked the door behind him. Tsukiko glanced at a faint glimmer she saw on the carpet. Crawling over to it, Tsukiko felt herself smile. The guard's key was sitting on the ground.

* * *

Mari had waited for what seemed like an eternity for night to fall again. She had thrown up twice that day, and another time quite recently. She felt extremely tired and lines had formed under her eyes. That was why when she saw the man in a long coat appear on the street corner, she was ecstatic.

At least she was, until the man had told her his price.

"I can't afford that!" Mari exclaimed. She had searched through her purse several times for money. "This is all I have!"

"Not enough," the man said. "Pay in full, or you get nothing,"

This argument went on for a little while, before Mari screamed.

"I need it!" she shouted.

"Well, you ain't gettin' it," the man walked away, and Mari screamed again. She ran back to her car, and started it again. She'd get what she needed if it took her all night.

* * *

After a very long day, and an impossible conversation with the doctor, Tsukiko was back in her cell. She waited a half-hour before pulling the silver object out of her pocket.

Tsukiko walked over to the barred window on the top of her door, and forced her small arm out of one of the gaps between the bars, and managed to feel around with the key to find the lock. She forced it in, and awkwardly turned away from the door frame.

A gentle _click_ met her ears, and she smiled. Tsukiko was getting out of the hospital. No sooner had she gently closed the door behind her when she heard it again. Roller blades. Tsukiko turned around to see Lil' Slugger racing towards her.

Tsukiko turned and ran. She ran as fast as she could down the unlit hall, and even noticed the empty guard office. Upon closer inspection, Tsukiko noticed that he didn't have his bat, which was why she wasn't surprised at all when he turned into the room only to come out with it a few seconds later.

Tsukiko had broken out in a sweat. She saw a door a few feet ahead and practically slammed into it. Praying there was no lock; Tsukiko turned the handle, and breathed a sigh of relief as it popped open. Behind her, Lil' Slugger was getting closer.

A little ways ahead, Tsukiko saw the front door, and had to stop for a minute for it to open automatically. She felt the cold night air on her face as she ran, and immediately recognized where she was. Her apartment complex was only a few blocks away.

The rain that was falling made it difficult for her to round corners. She didn't even bother to look behind her anymore.

As she came up another street, she saw a pair of lights racing towards her. The driver didn't even seem to notice her, and kept going, despite the fact that Tsukiko was directly in front of her.

Tsukiko made a last minute leap as the car crashed into a telephone pole. She lifted her head and looked behind her as smoke rose from the scene of the accident. Tsukiko's vision blurred, and she blacked out.

* * *

Mari pushed the airbag out of her way, and fumbled with the handle. She didn't even notice the blood that was trickling down her forehead. She needed her stuff.

Mari managed to open the door, and dropped to the ground. She crawled a few paces. Rain poured down on her, and a few drops hit her eyes.

There was a scraping noise. She looked to her left. In the darkness, all she saw was a glint of gold before she felt sharp pain, and then knew nothing.

* * *

Okay, I guarantee there are a lot of parts that are confusing, or at least some parts. I assure readers that, like the series, everything will make sense by the last chapter or sooner. Thank you, and please review. 


	8. COMPLETE PERFECTION

Thank you to everyone who has reviewed and is reading. Especially to those who have stuck with the story through my times of not-updating. I guess I should do this so,

I don't own Paranoia Agent, or any legal stuffs relating, and this covers my last chapters too.

Please keep reading. The story is almost done. Maybe about five more chapters are left. Please enjoy, and thank you.

* * *

Tsukiko groaned and shielded her eyes from the incoming sunlight. She was in her apartment; in her bed. How did she get home? The last thing she remembered…

_Tsukiko had broken out in a sweat. She saw a door a few feet ahead and practically slammed into it. Praying there was no lock; Tsukiko turned the handle, and breathed a sigh of relief as it popped open. Behind her, Lil' Slugger was getting closer._

_The rain that was falling made it difficult for her to round corners. She didn't even bother to look behind her anymore. _

_As she came up another street, she saw a pair of lights racing towards her. The driver didn't even seem to notice her, and kept going, despite the fact that Tsukiko was directly in front of her. _

_Tsukiko made a last minute leap as the car crashed into a telephone pole. She lifted her head and looked behind her as smoke rose from the scene of the accident. Tsukiko's vision blurred, and she blacked out._

Damn, that sunlight was getting annoying. Thankfully, no pink dog was blocking it from hitting her eyes this time. Speaking of which, where was the dog? Shouldn't he be following her everywhere?

As Tsukiko stood up, she noticed her bag was lying in the middle of her room. It should be in the closet, shouldn't it? Tsukiko picked up the bag, and immediately noticed it seemed heavier.

"What?" she asked herself. Tsukiko stared at the bag. Aside from it seeming heavier, it made a strange _clank_ when she picked it up. What was inside it? All she remembered putting in was character sketches. She raised the hand not holding the bag, and slowly lowered it towards the bag.

_Crash_

Tsukiko's attention was immediately brought to the window as she searched for the source of the loud noise she had just heard. What she saw made the bag drop along with her jaw.

A man, who looked like he was in his mid-thirties, was falling out a third-story window, screaming as he went.

Tsukiko tore her attention away from the window and ran through her house towards the phone. Her head pounded as she ran, and she was winded by the time she reached the phone.

Tsukiko started punching in the numbers. Halfway through, her head pounded harder. It really heart now. And was it just her, or was her stomach hurting? She dropped the phone and sat down on the couch. Maybe what she just saw was making her sick. Now her vision was blurry. It definitely made her sick.

Giving in to her illness, she fell to her side, and closed her eyes.

* * *

Janyce sat on her perfectly placed and clean couch. A magazine that had just a little while ago been placed on the perfectly matched coffee table in front of her was now in her hands. Nothing was very interesting. She was just reading it to pass time while the roast cooked, and to get her mind off of what had just happened a half-hour ago.

_Janyce was careful to avoid looking out her window all afternoon long. She didn't want to be a peeping tom. It was the off-chance that she gave in to her urge to look when she saw it. The woman across the street was now dangling dangerously out her window. This woman was trying to kill herself! _

_Janyce didn't look twice this time when she picked up the phone and dialed the three digits_

The magazine page she was on would have proved that Janyce wasn't really reading it. It was a two page advertisement.

"Look at this picture," and the magazine would show the picture of a _very_ unattractive women. "Now look at this picture!" The magazine would then show a women who looked _nothing_ like the previous one. "All from our face cream! Try Crème De Complete Perfection today!"

COMPLETE PERFECTION

Janyce dropped the magazine (which landed gracefully on the coffee table) and walked over to the small division of the room that was designated for a kitchen. She began pealing potatoes around the same time that her husband walked in.

"Hello honey!" he said, kissing her on the forehead. When she didn't give her routine, and perfect, response of "Hello back! How was your day?", his face scrunched up into one of confusion.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"I saw a woman across the street trying to kill herself, today," said Janyce. Her husband immediately frowned.

"Now what could bring a person to want to do something like that?" asked her husband.

"I just don't know," responded Janyce. "Life is just too great to want to stop,"

"Did you do something to get her help?" inquired the husband, and waited for his wife to say 'Of course' before his face went back to the normal expression it carried. "That's good. Maybe now she'll get better."

"Thanks for talking with me, honey!" said Janyce. She smiled, and then sniffed the air. "I think dinner is almost done. Why don't you grab a seat at the table while I finish up the potatoes and noodles!"

"Your great dear!" he said, and then took a seat. Janyce's smile grew, and she finished preparing the dinner.

* * *

After the meal was finished, and dirty plates were all that remained on the table, Janyce's husband yawned.

"Hey honey?" said the man who still sat at the table while Janyce began to clean up.

"Yes, dear?" responded Janyce, washing off plates.

"I need to get to work, do you mind if I can't help you cleaning up?"

"Not at all dear!" said Janyce. "If you were given work to take home, then you just focus on that! I'll make you some tea."

"No," began her husband. "You just relax, and read that book that you have been,"

"Well, if you're sure," said Janyce in a happy manor, while he walked into the office that was just down the hall.

He closed the door behind him before shaking the computer out of sleep-mode. Immediately, a list of contacts came up. Only one was on at this time. He sat down at his computer chair, and changed his contact status from _away_ to _online_. He began the conversation with the sole person who was still online.

_SXY4john: Hey, u finally back on?_

_perfctbsyJ: Yah, been a while._

_SXY4john: I've been counting the seconds._

_perfectbsyJ: lol. Whats new?_

_SXY4john: Oh, nothing much._

The conversation continued to flash on Janyce's husband's computer screen, and reflect in his eyes. In the back of his mind, he knew talking to this woman wasn't right, but it wasn't until one line was entered that he felt nervous.

_SXY4john: I think we should meet in real life._

_perfectbsyJ: …_

_SXY4john: On Wednesday, right after your work, in front of the water fountain. You know which one. See you then._

She signed off, leaving Janyce's husband to stare at a blue screen.

* * *

Janyce woke up on the perfect Tuesday morning, and stretched. Her husband was at work already. She'd slept in. It was already noon. After bathing and eating a small breakfast, she decided to go for a walk. It was such a perfect day, after all.

The sun was warm on her pale skin as she made her way through the crowded street. Crowds were _not _perfect. There were just so many people. Maybe some ice cream would bring back the greatness of the day. She had just rounded a corner, and an ice cream shop had come into view.

"Cherry, please!" smiled Janyce when it was finally her turn to place an order. The clerk behind the counter didn't even look up from blending someone else a smoothie.

"We don't stock cherry anymore," he said, moving the cup up and down with the blending mechanism.

"That's not perfect," she muttered, left eye twitching just a tad.

"Life's not perfect," growled the clerk. Janyce's face scrunched up into one that made her look evil.

"Maybe not for a minimum wage high-school failure, like you," Janyce ground her teeth for about two seconds, before realizing what she'd said. She clapped her hand over her mouth, and looked around the shop. People were staring at her, and the ice-cream clerk just stared with his mouth hanging open.

Janyce ran out of the shop and down the street she'd taken to get there. She kept one hand on her mouth as the other sort of hung by her side. Her light-green yarn, button-up coat flapped over the cotton t-shirt she was wearing. Then she was falling, then there was pain, and the warm blood.

Janyce rolled over to see what had made her fall, and she saw a homeless man sleeping against the wall of a building.

"Why is today…" she paused for a second before her pupils narrowed. "not perfect!"

After she stood up, she didn't stop running until she reached her apartment.

* * *

Janyce's husband walked in the front door an hour late. Dinner was already sitting on the table, and had grown cold. That aside, he didn't even greet her when he walked in, and he smelt like alcohol.

"What is wrong?" asked Janyce, spacing the words.

"Nothing," groaned her husband, holding a briefcase that had papers spewing out of the sides. "I just wanted a drink after work."

"Since when?" asked Janyce. She was worried now. Okay, so the rest of the world is having a not-so-perfect day, but her husband coming home with alcohol in his system?

"Just leave me alone," he growled, and went into his office. Janyce laughed to herself a little.

"So he had a bad day," she said, her voice shaking. "Everyone has one once in a while. It doesn't mean he's not perfect anymore. I'll just go into the bedroom, he'll come in later and apologize, and then we can sleep,"

Janyce slept alone that night.

* * *

The time had finally come. It was just after his shift, and he was standing in front of the water fountain of his work. She would be here any minute now, and Janyce's husband couldn't have been more nervous. He felt like he was betraying Janyce.

He wanted to leave, but a stronger part of him was keeping him there, wanting to see if his internet buddy was a looker or not. He was hoping for not.

He would be so lucky.

She came out of the shadows just to his left, wearing a tight dress with no straps. Her jet-black hair was ties into a messy ponytail. She had diamond earrings, and a face that looked like would have passed even Janyce's standards of perfection. Her high-heels made a clacking noise as she walked.

"Hey there," she said, only when she was right next to him. The woman pressed her body against his. "How's it going, John?" she asked, whispering into his ear.

"Hello…" he stammered. Damn. He couldn't back off. She was way too good looking. Her eyes an enchanting yellow, her lipstick deep red, who could have backed away from her?

"Tell me a little more about where you wanna go, tonight," she kissed him on the lips.

Janyce's husband backed up a few paces. "Where are you going," started the woman.

"I…" he began, before turning to face the bushes. The woman walked towards him.

"Hey," began the woman. Her seductive tone had been replaced by a soothing one. "If you want to take things slow, then that's fine by me,"

John nodded, and went to the best diner her could afford with the woman before saying goodnight and finding a hotel to spend the rest of the night.

* * *

Morning. It was morning and her husband hadn't returned. Janyce's mind had spiraled into confusion. Where was he? Why was her perfect dinner from the night before ruined? Why didn't he keep being perfect?

A click. The front door opened, and her husband walked into the room of the house, expression grim.

"Hello, honey!" shouted Janyce. Everything would be perfect. Her husband sat down on the couch across from her. "How was your night?"

"Do yourself a favor, shake my computer out of sleep mode, and read the last few conversations,"

"Right away, honey!" exclaimed Janyce. Now he would show her a surprise of some sort, and everything would be perfect. Nothing would change.

She continued these thoughts until she reached the computer room. Janyce walked over to the mouse, and shook it. Immediately, several conversations popped up. Her wide smile slowly faded.

_Hey there_

Her smile was still vaguely present, though not aware to Janyce.

_Been a while._

_Wanna do something?_

Janyce's right eye narrowed.

_Oh yah._

_Good idea._

Janyce's breathing shortened, and came in quick gasps.

_Hello again._

_I think we should meet._

The messages were flashing by too quickly for Janyce to focus on them anymore. There were so many. So many times he hadn't been perfect. So many… so many…

"No," she whispered when she found the last message, as her hand tightened around a snow globe that she'd given him for Christmas.

_On Wednesday

* * *

_

Janyce's husband sat with his head in his hands. It was when he heard Janyce coming out of the computer room that he looked up. Her head was down, and she seemed to be holding something.

"Janyce?" asked her husband as he stood up and walked towards her. She stopped in front of the couch, so he didn't have to go far. "Honey, we can work this out," he said.

"It's not…" Janyce's husband stared at her.

"It's not, what, honey?" he began, before she lifted her head and the same expression as the one she had in the ice cream shop was on her face.

"IT'S NOT PERFECT!" her screech had partially deafened him, but the pain in his ears quickly subsided as a greater pain took over. He stumbled around for a second, and then fell back. It was a good thing the thin glass window broke his fall.

Wow, if that window hadn't been there, he might have fallen on the carpet! It was a good thing that glass had been made. Now he could just push himself up and bandage his head. Speaking of which, blood seemed to be rising above his head. That didn't make sense, gravity makes things go down!

It was cold. A gentle draft had to be coming from somewhere. Maybe he had cracked the glass window when he bumped into it. Wow his head hurt. Oh? Now the woman from the night before was standing next to him. Both she and Janyce were offering a hand for him to grab on to, to help him get his bearings. Wait, why couldn't he stand up?

Maybe he was loosing too much blood. There seemed to be a lot of it above his head. He'd have to ask Janyce why that was happening. Oh, Janyce! She'd have to clean up the stain he was going to leave!

A noise was filling his ears. A loud noise that he didn't like. Hmm, what was it? Was it…it was! He was screaming! He was screaming? It didn't make sense. But nothing at this moment did.

All of this went on in his head in about three seconds, because his body hit the pavement of the sidewalk in about that time. Right next to him, a glass snow globe crashed open, the liquid spilling out.

Now two liquids were on the pavement, only one had sparkles in it, and the phrase "You are my perfection,"

* * *

Janyce stared as her husband fell over thirty feet to his death. A small blood spatter was on the carpet from where she had hit him in the head with a snow globe.

"He wasn't…" Janyce turned around in mid-sentence due to the sound of her front door crashing in. An average height kid with a crooked baseball bat gently glided towards her. The last word she said before the metal club was brought down was the one she needed to complete her sentence. "…perfect."

* * *

Tsukiko awoke several hours later. The sun was setting, and her stomach ache seemed to have subsided. The thought of that man threatened to bring it back, so she thought for a minute.

She decided to get a soda. She was thirsty. On her way to the fridge, Tsukiko notice her answering machine. Three new messages? Her finger pushed the play button.

_"Miss Tsukiko, you somehow got out of confinement. For your own health it is highly advised that you return and-"_

Tsukiko pushed the delete button three times. They were still after her! Without putting thought into it, Tsukiko had a very quick shower. Afterwards, she dressed in her work uniform, and grabbed a suitcase with a few cloths packed into it. She grabbed her wallet, and bag from her closet.

Tsukiko had decided it was time for her to leave the city. Lil' Slugger was back here, and those people were after her. Unfortunately, the only way she had out was bus.

Tsukiko waited in silence at the bus stop. Her hair and suit were blowing to the left from the wind. She had to leave. She had to get out of town for her own good. The last bus of the day was coming down the road.

As it stopped in front of her, preparing to whisk her away to the train station, she stood halfway in the doorway. Good bye Little Slugger. Good bye hapless victims of the city, and hopefully, goodbye to this nightmare, forever. Tsukiko Sagi boarded the bus, and watched her apartment fade away from view as she moved on to what she hoped would be a new chapter.

* * *

Okay, this is about four to five chapters away from the end, and I hope you enjoyed it. Please review, and special thanks to all those who have reviewed recently. 


	9. FUTILE FREEDOM

Thank you for reading, and enjoy the story as it winds down to its end. Actually, this is the second-to-last chapter. Enjoy! There was a few days when I was thinking about letting my friends reading these two chapters first and letting me know if the ending was ok, but i decided that i didn't want to change it. Even if you hate what happenes in the last chapter, you can always pretend the story ends how you want it to.

Disclaimer: I don't own Paranoia Agent… legal stuff…..yah. Story's mine, though.

* * *

"Just yesterday this mysterious assailant has attacked again. This time-" 

The news castor's broadcast continued uninterrupted in several locations. Harumi Chono walked down the sidewalk with a plastic bag from a bookstore at her side. She looked normal. Her face didn't carry a look of fear and worry that it used to. She was indistinguishable among normal citizens.

She wore a blue denim coat with no sleeves that buttoned down the middle. She still had glasses, but now had jade earrings cut in a design similar to that of a sunflower. Her hair remained the same, and she wore a light blue dress that stopped above the ankles. Despite these changes, Harumi had the same air about her, and still carried, more or less, the same personality (Just the one). She stopped in front of a store broadcasting the news.

"This time the attacker barged right into-"

Taeko stared at the TV placed in front of her with her mother. The mother affectionately stroked the head of the daughter. Taeko still had her school uniform on, and her mother still wore her suit from her office job. Things worked out great, because they both came home at the same time.

All around them were otherwise pointless decorations that they had both deemed appropriate for the room. On top of a small ledge right below a painting were pictures. All of them were of recent memories of Taeko and her mother. Not a single picture of her father was seen.

"Barged right into the victim's apartment and-"

A group of students sat around Yuichi Tayra. No change had occurred in his status. All of them cared for him, wishing nothing more then for him to wake up so they could apologize for their behavior. The monitor beeped softly almost as part of the background. The TV blared above their heads.

"Apartment and struck her with what is-"

Yamiaka Owaki sat in silence between her two loving parents. They rubbed her hair, and held her tight as she stared intently at the ceiling.

"What is believed to be a metallic object. Right now, no witness-"

A woman sat on what looked like an expensive couch. She was holding a glass of wine that she occasionally took sips from. Her legs were crossed, and the elbow of the arm holding the glass was resting on the arm of the couch. From a view to the side, one could see the corner of pillow with the pattern of a rose on it.

Next to her sat a very spoiled looking who appeared to be her son. He slouched low on the couch holding a half-empty can of soda. His eyes were half closed, but he was far from tired. Behind them was a picture of a man who had hair graying around the edges, and none of it on top. Captioned on the bottom was 'Yoshina; Good for something only in death.'

"No witnesses have seen the attacker except for a mother and her two children, but they-"

A young woman sat in the middle of a sterile room. Several people sat around her in a semi-circle. The woman's hair was flat and lifeless. Her eyes had lines under them from the lack of sleep she had. She didn't know why, but Mari had decided to join this group to make sure her filthy habit of drugs didn't come back; ever since that night with the shadowed kid who attacked her. That was why she was so intent on the flashing images on the TV above her.

"But they won't give us much information. All that we have to-"

A gentle clicking sound filled her ears. Luggage made a rattling sound above her head as their metal fastenings banged against the rack that held them up. Tsukiko was staring intently out the window, or at least, she was, until a news broadcast covered in static came from a small radio held by another passenger on the train.

"All we have to report is that the assailants attacks are so far known to be random, and"

"Could you change the channel?" asked Tsukiko. The man stared at her. She blinked a few times before trying again. "Could you please find something else to listen to?" She tried to make her voice as polite as possible.

The man still stared, but finally switched to something else. Tsukiko leaned back in her seat, and closed her eyes. She was really tired, and was trying to go as far away from her home town as she could, which in turn caused for a long train ride.

Maybe some sleep would help her get her mind off things. She wasn't getting off until the last stop anyway, so it wasn't like she could sleep through it. Finally letting her mind slip into ease, she fell asleep.

A little to the left of her, someone had scribbled a small patch of letters in pen. A shame since the train looked to cost a lot of money.

FUTILE FREEDOM

* * *

A gentle clicking sound of heels on a smooth floor was the only noise. The heels belonged to a young nurse whose eyes were focused on a clipboard that she was carrying. She walked right past a room with a door open just a crack. A water fountain stuck out of the wall right next to the room. Above that was a name tag that was attached to a room number. 

Mitsuhiro Maniwa.

The man inside the room sat in a small wheelchair The sun shone on his eyes as he stared out a window. He muttered only two words, but no one heard them.

"No...escape,"

A long distance away from the window, the train Tsukiko had been sleeping on fell silent after one final whistle blow. The conductor hollered that this was the last stop, and that, with the other noises of passengers awoke Tsukiko.

She grabbed her bag and slung it over her shoulder as she used her other hand to pick up her travel case. The platform was nothing too fancy. Just the average loading dock and benches decorated the environment with an occasional potted plant. As Tsukiko walked, something caught her eye. Or, more accurately, someone.

A young girl was standing with her back to Tsukiko. Her black hair was held tied up into two braids. She had a tank-top on with short white shorts. The girl wore a pair of white flip-flops the same color of her shorts. Both arms seemed to be holding something tightly to her chest.

Tsukiko took a step closer. There was something about this girl that interested her. Why was she drawn to her? There was just something so familiar. Tsukiko was startled when the girl finally turned around. Horrified, was a more accurate word.

The girl was holding a sketchbook. She clutched it tightly, and her right hand was holding a pencil while the forearm helped support the book. None of that made a difference to Tsukiko. She was too busy looking at the girl's face.

It was small and cute, and seemed to be afraid of something. Almost like she was dreading the fact that Tsukiko had seen her. Her mouth was open a little, and her eyes were wide and sparkled.

She looked exactly like Tsukiko did when she was her age.

A couple of people walked by, and when they finally left to reveal the spot where the girl was, she was gone. Tsukiko blinked a few times, and then held a hand up to her face. She had to be imagining things.

* * *

Jack laughed as he drank in the small bar. Just recently, he'd had a small fight with his wife and needed some time to himself. He had come home after a hard night at work and all she did was complain about how he was never at home. Excuse the hell out of him for bringing in some money! 

The drink that was clutched firmly in his hand began to have less liquid rather quickly. As the liquid level went down, the grip on his drink loosened. It came to the point when the glass finally dropped and shattered, and the bar keep through him out. Damn, now he'd have to listen to that woman when he got home. Oh well, it might be funny.

* * *

A few minutes after she had walked out of the train station, Tsukiko realized that she was thirsty. Across the street was a small convenience store. It was a store named after the city, so odds were that it wasn't a popular chain. She crossed the street, rubbing her head, and thought she'd need to buy some aspirin. Her head was hurting. 

She pushed open the door and felt the temperature drop a few degrees. A middle-aged man was working the counter, but was reading a news paper at the current moment. The store seemed empty excluding her.

She walked towards the back wall where the refrigerated area was. She stared at her reflection in the clear glass, and then pried open the door. She grabbed a drink that didn't sound too bad, and closed the door. She closed her eyes, and took a sip of the drink now clutched firmly in her grip.

Tsukiko turned around, and opened her eyes, and let out a short gasp as she saw the strange little girl standing in front of her. Why was she here? What was she doing? She held out her sketch book, as if handing it to Tsukiko.

Tsukiko reached a hand towards it, but grasped air as the girl took back her book. She still had the same expression on her face, as though upset over something. The girl turned and ran out of the store.

Tsukiko stared as she took a right and disappeared out of view. Tsukiko walked up to the counter, and looked at the man behind the counter.

"Excuse me," started Tsukiko. The man looked up from a corner of the paper. "Who was that little girl?" The man stared for a second.

" 'Fraid you're gonna have to be a little more specific then that," said the man politely, smiling a little.

"Well," started Tsukiko. "She has pigtails, and wide eyes," Tsukiko kept the tone of her voice the same as she talked.

"Oh!" said the man. "You must mean Janie. She comes around here a lot with her parents. Sometimes they just send her in by herself," Tsukiko sighed. The man stared, puzzled. "Why?"

"Oh," said Tsukiko, a little embarrassed that she had sighed so loudly. "Nothing important," she dropped some money on the counter for the drink, and walked out of the store. At least now she knew she wasn't crazy. It was just coincidence that she looked like she did. Tsukiko walked out of the store, and pulled out her cell phone to call a cab.

The man behind the counter watched Tsukiko walk out of view, and then went back to his paper. Strange people…

The bell attached to the door jingled.

"Oh," said the man. "Janie! I was just thinkin' about you. So what'll it be?"

A girl of about seven walked up to the counter. She had wide eyes, and wore a tank-top. She smiled with a smile that was missing a few teeth, and her blonde hair glowed in the sunlight.

* * *

Jack walked down the dark alley way. Why was life so hard on him? All those attacks around this city were making his wife edgy, his boss just fired him for being late again, and even more, his wife was threatening a divorce. Now he was going to come home drunk. Wow she was going to like that. He really needed a way out. 

His world was spinning and he felt like throwing up. Everything was going wrong and he couldn't even make the right choice to avoid the bar. Five times this week, he'd gone there. He had a drinking problem, and his life was shattering because of it. He really needed someone to help him!

Agentle sound filled the air, like wheels on cement.

The sound got louder and louder. It made Jack's head hurt. Why was that noise in the air? All he did was ask for help! Why did this skating sound appear? Unless…

Unless this was the attacker. It was after hours, and Jack was walking alone down a dark street. He was going to be attacked by that kid, and he was too wasted to run. Jack looked behind him and-

-And saw a teenager on a skateboard. He zoomed by, and Jack laughed a little, before continuing to walk home.

* * *

Tsukiko pushed open the front door to the hotel she was going to be staying at. The bag on her shoulder was starting to feel too heavy already. Her shoes made a clacking noise on the smooth marble floor. A few feet ahead of her was a desk with a teenage girl holding her head in her hands. 

As she approached the desk, Tsukiko's head started to hurt again. Then she realized what she'd done. Damn. She forgot to buy aspirin. She scolded herself for such a stupid mistake, and then went to talk to the woman.

"Excuse me," began Tsukiko, and the woman looked up. "I called ahead. My name is Tsukiko Sagi."

The girl just stared for a while, and then got off of the desk she was laying on. She began typing on a computer that must have been located just out of view. Tsukiko noticed a pile of papers that the woman had been lying on. She looked to be around her mid-twenties and the paper she saw confirmed such.

It was a card full of grades that appeared to be from a college. Most of them were very low. Next to that was a picture of her and what looked like a boyfriend ripped in half. Tsukiko's head throbbed harder. She let out a little gasp.

"Are you all right?" asked the woman at the computer. When Tsukiko looked at her, she noticed the things on the papers were showing in her face. Tsukiko responded politely that she was fine, and the woman gave her a small key. "Second floor, room 207. She smiled, and then went back to lying on the desk.

Tsukiko thanked her, and then began to walk away. As she left, what was obviously a higher up in the hotel approached the woman. He began saying something, and looked angry. Tsukiko didn't have time to notice the girl's reaction as the elevator doors closed.

Tsukiko didn't feel right taking the elevator only to the second floor, but she had too much stuff to carry up those flights of stairs. Not to mention her head was killing her.

A few yards to the left of the elevator was her room, which opened with a click as she turned the key. She dropped her stuff down onto the floor, and fell into her bed. It was late, and her head was killing her. She'd decide what she was going to do in the morning.

* * *

A familiar sound awoke Tsukiko from a sound sleep. It was the sound of rollerblades coming from outside her room. This meant that he had followed her. Unless of course a kid thought it was fun to roller blade inside a hotel at two in the morning. That slim hope was destroyed by a clanging sound on her door. The noise sounded like a baseball player hitting the ball with an aluminum bat. 

Tsukiko was silent, and then she heard nothing, which could only mean that someone else in the hotel was his victim, and he was just saying hi. Tsukiko wished she could ignore it, but something told her to follow him.

When she opened the door, she saw him smiling in the elevator, and that was all before the doors closed. The number above symbolized that he was going down. Tsukiko ran towards the stairs at the end of the hall. She head to get their. She had to see why he was still here.

She pushed open the right of the set of doors, and began running down the steps. Halfway down, she heard a scream. When Tsukiko finally pushed open the last door, she wished she hadn't.

Tsukiko caught a glimpse of the girl from earlier running, and then saw Little Slugger bring the bat down. Then everything was quiet again. Tsukiko took a few steps towards the attacker, and he smiled.

"Why are you doing this?" asked Tsukiko. His smile grew as he skated towards her. He was near her in one glide. "Is it because I came here?"

Little Slugger nodded, and then raised his bat.

"Stop!" Tsukiko said, her voice holding a more affirmative tone then she thought it would. To her surprise, he did. "You left. You shouldn't be back! I don't need you anymore!"

Little slugger nodded again, as if saying "Yes you do," and then turned around and pushed open the front door to the hotel.

* * *

Tsukiko ran up the steps of the hotel. She had to go back. One person seemed to know a lot about why Little Slugger was back, and what Tsukiko would have to do. She had to get to Maniwa. 

The flight of steps seemed endless, and when Tsukiko finally reached the top, she was winded. She kept up a jog to reach her room quicker, and fumbled with the key. When it finally went into the lock, she smiled a little, and then felt her stomach plummet as she saw that the door was already open.

She pushed it open, and noticed that no one was there. Maybe she'd jus left it open in her rush downstairs?

Tsukiko changed, and then grabbed her suitcase from the corner next to the TV. She slung her bag over her shoulder, and turned around to leave. That was when she saw her again. The little girl from the train station and convenience store. What was she doing here?

"Janie?" asked Tsukiko. She still wasn't certain that was her name. For a while, she got no response, and when the girl finally did speak, it had nothing to do with the question asked of her.

"There's no point in trying to escape. You have to go back to the city,"

* * *

Okay! Next is the final chapter in this story. Everything finally ends. All the confusing parts will make sense and even more confusing parts will be introduced. Thank you for reading, and please review! 


	10. THE FINAL CHAPTER

This is the final chapter. Say anything you wanted to now, cuz there isn't going to be another chance. I want to thank the readers of this story, and especially those who have been with it from the beginning.

Disclaimer: I don't own Paranoia Agent, or its characters. My story and my characters are mine, though.

By the way, you're going to hate me for how this ends. Seriously. Enjoy!

* * *

Tsukiko stared out the rain spattered window pane of the train. A soft _spatter_ met her ears every so often. Her bag and case were placed on the antique styled seat next to her instead of above her in the metal rack. Her grey vest was creased where here stomach met her hips, and her knees touched although her feet were about two feet apart from each other. Tsukiko recalled the events that made her go on a train back to her home.

_"There's no point in trying to escape. You have to go back to the city," said the girl. She looked like Tsukiko did at her age, and she held a sketchbook that looked eerily like Tsukiko's first._

_"What are you talking about?" asked Tsukiko, her eyes shaking with fear. The events that had just recently transpired were still affecting her, and this weird girl didn't help matters._

_"You can't find freedom," began the girl. She clutched her sketchbook tightly. She looked as if she was trying to hold back tears, but her body was betraying her. "You have to go back and face the truth,"_

_Tsukiko had no idea what that girl had exactly meant by "the truth," but she didn't have to. Not just yet. For a while, Tsukiko's eyes met the girl's. They just stared intently at each other. In that moment, Tsukiko realized, in some strange way, that the girl was right. Tsukiko nodded._

_The girl turned around slowly, as though moving in slow-motion, and walked out of the opening to the room. She made no noise when she walked in thanks to the carpeting. Only the faint sound of carpet under pressure met her ears. When she was out of the room, Tsukiko stood silent for a moment, no more than a second or two, and then she ran out of the room. Tsukiko looked up and down the halls, but she couldn't find the girl._

_Keeping her understanding, and ignoring all rational thoughts her mind was tirelessly pursuing, she grabbed her things, and walked out of the hotel, before anyone seemed to notice the events from earlier in the evening._

The train bustled with the noise of many people, but to Tsukiko, the only sound was of the rain hitting the window. This rain that had started when Tsukiko left the hotel and hadn't yet let up seemed to be telling her that she had a difficult journey ahead of her. She yawned, and tried to give in to the temptation of sleep due to lack of it, but failed miserably. There was no way that she was going to get any sleep before she entered the city.

Tsukiko settled on grabbing for a bag of chips, and then decided against it. Her stomach wouldn't go for it. Wow, nothing was working right now. She tried to think about how she would go about her business in the city. She almost laughed. There was nothing to think _about_. Her first order of business would be to get some information from Maniwa, and then straighten things out with that damn pink dog. Which meant she'd have to find it. Oh well, things would work out. Everything would finally be all set in her life, and she could live a normal life again.

A little to the left of her, someone held a case that was covered in what should have been bumper stickers. They said random phrases. "I hiked a trail, This is the final chapter in my life, Insert smiley face here…they were pretty much random.

THE FINAL CHAPTER

* * *

The train pulled into Tsukiko's stop, and she was hesitant in getting off. Did she really want to face this again? After everything she'd gone through last time, was she ready to do it all again? Tsukiko pushed these thoughts aside, and picked up her things. This time wasn't the same as last time. Last time she was running away from the truth. Last time, she wouldn't admit her problems. Last time, she hid behind that dog. No, this time wasn't the same. Granted, it would be difficult, but she would overcome it. She would make it through this time.

She wasn't going to run anymore.

Tsukiko walked towards the bus stop located just a few feet outside the station. It was the perfect spot for a bunch of tired commuters. Speaking of which, a lot of people were gathered at the stop. It looked like the bus was going to be showing up any minute, and people were standing where they hoped the bus would stop.

Tsukiko was happy standing towards the back of the crowd. People didn't have to worry. This was the bus's first and last stop on its route, and everyone would have a seat, unlike the unlucky few who would be getting on down the road. A part of Tsukiko wished the bus wouldn't show up. That part was more persistent in hoping the outline of it on the horizon wouldn't get bigger. Only when the doors to the bus opened did this part finally give up, and Tsukiko forced herself to get on the bus.

Like she predicted, there were plenty of seats available for people to sit at. At least seven empty seats met Tsukiko's eyes when she walked on, exactly like she said. She weaved between passengers legs as she made her way to one of the open seats. Now all she had left was the bus ride to the terminal, and then to the hospital.

_Maybe I should go home, first, _she thought. This would probably be a smart maneuver, to avoid lugging her travel case with her to the hospital. Then again, Maromi might be there too.

A battle like this raged in her head until she finally reached the bus terminal. It was then that she decided to go to the hospital first, and boarded the corresponding bus. Since the day was getting on, there wouldn't exactly be many people on this bus.

Tsukiko took a seat, and then waited for the bus to leave. She was tired, but knew better then to fall asleep on a bus, not like she could. All she could do was wait for the bus to stop near the hospital.

* * *

The front doors slid open smoothly as Tsukiko stepped near them. Directly in front of here was a receptionist desk, and towards her left was a small area designated for an emergency room. A small TV seemed to have been left on in that area. The woman at the desk only noticed Tsukiko as she walked towards her on the tiled floor.

"Can I help you?" she asked, obviously not having a friendly personality.

"Yes," started Tsukiko. "I'm here to see Mitsuhiro Maniwa, please." The woman proceeded in giving Tsukiko a look that said 'So?', but said nothing. After a little while, the woman responded.

"Are you family?" she said, as though Tsukiko was nothing but a waste of her time. Tsukiko just gave a half-hearted smile.

"Close friend," she responded. The woman stared for a few more minutes, before typing in a name on the computer.

"Third floor, second room on your right," said the woman, and went back to doing whatever fascinating thing she was before.

Tsukiko nodded in thanks, and then walked towards the elevators. She pushed the button labeled 'three', and waited for the steel elevator doors to close.

After a few minutes, the elevator made a soft _ping_, and the doors opened. Tsukiko walked out, and, doing as instructed, counted two doors to her right. Thankfully, the woman hadn't been lying, and the door was labeled with the person she wished to visit's name.

The wooden door opened with a creak, and the first thing that met Tsukiko's eyes was the back of a man's head just visible over a wheelchair. Tsukiko took a few steps closer until she was at his side. She was about to speak, but Maniwa beat her to it.

"He's back," began the hospital patient. "But not as before,"

Tsukiko was silent for a minute, before whispering two words. "Lil' Slugger,"

"His appearance is limited," continued Maniwa. "And his power is not as great," Those were the last word she had said before Tsukiko saw a familiar face hanging on to the back of the wheel chair.

"And rumors won't help him anymore," said the little girl who looked like Tsukiko. She pushed herself up using the handles of the chair, but left the sketchbook on the floor. Maniwa seemed oblivious to this situation, and his gaze was still fixed out the window.

"What are you doing here?" said Tsukiko, almost coldly. Then the girl looked at her with the same eyes she had when she first saw her. The girl's bottom lip trembled slightly. The room was silent for a minute, and then the girl spoke again.

"Does your head hurt?" she asked.

"What?" asked Tsukiko, giving her a puzzled look. How did this girl know about her headaches?

"I'd imagine it would," The girl pointed to Maniwa. "Around _him_."

"What are you talking about?" demanded Tsukiko. This girl seemed to know a lot of things about Tsukiko's life that even she didn't know.

"I wouldn't go near the elevator on your way down," she whispered, and then the girl turned and walked out of the room. Tsukiko stared at the open door for a few minutes before a sparkle caught her eye.

The sparkle came from the cover of a familiar sketchbook. Tsukiko didn't even know they still made these. She reached down and picked it up. The cover was the same as hers. The whole book seemed to give off an aura of familiarity. Tsukiko opened the front cover, and felt her eyes widen.

The front page had the same drawing as her old book.

Tsukiko turned the page. Another one of her drawings was there. A turn of the page revealed more of them. Tsukiko's eyes moved from left to right as they scanned the pages being turned faster and faster.

Everything was the same. Every line was as before. Every scribble still in its original form. This was her book. _This was her book_!

Tsukiko was deeply absorbed in the book. She turned to what she recalled to be her last drawing, and saw more pages. Her hand reached cautiously towards the edge of the page. Her heart raced when she touched it, and she felt nervous.

Then the book was snatched from her hands.

"Don't take what doesn't belong to you!" The girl was back, and glared at Tsukiko as she clutched the book close to her. The gaze was a weird mix of anger and sorrow.

"But that's mine," said Tsukiko in a voice as desperate as she was confused. There was a minute of silence, and then the girl responded.

"Stay away from the elevator,"

She turned to leave the room, and Tsukiko immediately followed. The girl broke into a sprint, and Tsukiko did too. The girl made a quick right when she was out of the room.

By the time Tsukiko was out in the hall, the girl was nowhere to be seen. Tsukiko looked left, and then turned her attention to the right, and to an elevator door that was closing.

Tsukiko ran towards it. That girl had answers that Tsukiko needed, and she wasn't going to let her get away. She shoved her arm in the small opening of the elevator, and managed to slip in. The doors closed behind her, and then Tsukiko realized it.

The little girl wasn't in the elevator, but someone else was. Someone that Tsukiko dreaded seeing. A young boy with a red cap and golden roller blades leaned against the elevator wall. The light and the cap covered his eyes in shadow, but that didn't affect what he said.

"Going up?" he asked, and Tsukiko felt her eyes widen with fear. The Elevator lurched as it started to go up, and Little Slugger smiled. It was then that she finally understood.

"I'm your next victim…" she said quietly. The boys smile grew wider. Then Tsukiko realized what she had done. In her haste to follow the girl, she had forgotten her travel case. The one thing she had that might have stopped the baseball bat was now lying on the floor of a hospital room. All Tsukiko had on her was her bag.

Suddenly Little Slugger kicked off the wall, and went towards her with as much force as he could muster. It was just by luck that Tsukiko dodged an assault that had dented the wall of the elevator. She had landed on her backside, and just barely had time to scramble over to the other side of the elevator before the bat was brought down again.

She started to pant as she repeated the process. The lights above the elevator slowly changed from 'three', to 'four' and so on. The elevator was almost on the seventh floor before another process of swinging and jumping was completed.

Little Slugger was starting to look irritated. Tsukiko had somehow managed to dodge all of his attacks, but was getting tired. How long could she keep this up? Little Slugger raised his bat one more time, but stopped as the elevator did on the level labeled 'roof'. The doors slid open, and Little Slugger smiled before skating out.

He stopped and turned around once he was outside to stare at Tsukiko, panting in a corner. He just smiled, and waved as the doors closed. What was this? Was he giving up? That didn't seem like him. Tsukiko stood up, grabbing her bag from where it fell during the chase.

And then the cable snapped.

* * *

A nurse walked down the long hallway towards Mitsuhiro Maniwa's room. A plastic container of food was placed on the tray she carried. It was time for dinner. Maniwa was where he seemed to always be. Staring out the window seemed to be his new hobby.

"Dinner time!" said the nurse in a polite voice. She didn't expect a response from Maniwa, but she new at least that he would know she was there. She approached, and noticed a travel case on the floor of his room. "Oh? What's this?"

The nurse placed the tray on a small wooden table provided for such instances, and picked up the case. She scanned it for a name tag, but found none. Oh well. Someone was bound to come for it sooner or later.

She set Maniwa up for food, and then left with the case. Lost and found would take care of it. She gave a small yawn as she walked. She really needed some time off. As the nurse walked by the elevators, she thought that she heard screaming. Dismissing it as her own thoughts, the nurse decided that she really needed some time off.

* * *

Tsukiko screamed as the elevator plummeted down the shaft. The lights inside had gone out, but she never would have known the difference. She had slammed her eyes shut out of fear.

The numbers flashed by above the door. 12, 11, 10, and so forth. Tsukiko screamed louder as she felt it nearing the basement. This was how it was all going to end? Her trapped in an elevator as Little Slugger continued to destroy the city?

"Excuse me," whispered a voice. Tsukiko was startled by the sound of another voice, and opened her eyes to the darkness of the plummeting elevator. But light met her eyes. The sun was still setting, and the lights were on.

The elevator was stopped on the first floor of the hospital. A Nurse was staring at her in confusion. Tsukiko observed her surroundings a second longer before grabbing the he shoulder bag, and running out of the hospital.

* * *

Tsukiko reached her apartment complex at nightfall. Her eyes were half-closed as she reached around her unbuttoned pocket for keys. Groaning as she remembered that she had packed them in her travel case, she leaned against the wall next to her apartment, thinking.

Then she dropped to her knees, and lifted up the corner of her front door mat. Sure, it was clichéd, but a spare key was still a spare key. Tsukiko didn't have to worry about anyone finding it though. She kept her door chained at night.

Tsukiko dropped the bag on the floor next to her bed, and then dropped into her bed herself. The day's events flowed through her head, and Tsukiko finally felt like she could sleep. Complying with her body's wishes, she finally fell asleep.

* * *

When Tsukiko woke up, the sun was high in the sky. Everything, in that moment, seemed to not exist. The world seemed to be relaxed, and everything was alright. In that short time, she had forgotten all about the events of yesterday, and was filled with a feeling that nothing was wrong.

All of that melted away when she rolled over and saw the girl sitting in a chair next to her bed, holding the sketchbook.

"What are you doing here?" exclaimed Tsukiko, suddenly fully awake. "How did you get in my house?"

"How is the truth still evading you?" asked the girl, dismissing the previous questions. "It was staring you in the face this whole time, and yet you blocked it out. You wouldn't believe any of it."

"What?" asked Tsukiko. Did anything this little girl say make sense? _Any_ of it? What was she getting on about now?

"Maromi won't come back," said the girl. Tsukiko stared. "He will never come back. I don't think he can," the girl kept her gaze on Tsukiko.

"Why wouldn't he come back?" asked Tsukiko with a strange mix of joy and empathy.

"Check your shoulder bag," said the girl. Tsukiko realized that she hadn't. Not for a little while. What was in there that could possibly make things any clearer? Tsukiko stepped out of bed and bent down to pick up the bag she had dropped the night before.

She herself was still in her work clothes from yesterday. Last night she was too tired to change, and she didn't really care that morning. Tsukiko clutched the bag, and was about to open it, when there was a knock on her door.

Tsukiko still held the bag as she walked towards the door, and looked out through the eye hole. The man from the mental hospital was standing there.

_Damn,_ she thought. Tsukiko quietly, yet quickly, ran back to her room, finding her shoes along the way. They slid on with a bit of a struggle, and then she opened her window. It would lead her to the fire escape, which would take her to a small back alley. It would be dirty, but definitely better then being falsely accused of being suicidal by the doctor.

It was her life, and she was going to lead a normal one after all of this.

The metal steps of the fire escape clanged as she charged down them. She was almost at the bottom when she felt her bag still on her shoulder.

_"Check your shoulder bag,"_

Tsukiko stopped running when she had made it out of the alley. The sunny street seemed to deeply contrast with the chaos and confusion she felt right. What could possibly be in a bag that would make all of this come into clarity?

Tsukiko looked ahead of her and saw the little girl standing in the middle of railroad tracks. The words she had said echoed in her head, and she slowly opened the bag as she stared at the girl.

A glint of gold caught her eyes, and Tsukiko dropped the bag.

A metal bat which had been tucked tightly into the bag was jostled loose, and rolled out.

Tsukiko felt as if she could throw up, as she remembered things. Things that _he_ did, through her.

The sound of roller-blades on cement filled her ears, and didn't stop.

_Harumi Chono screamed for help, and he would be obliged to do so._

"Tsukiko admitted it was her fault, and he left,"

_Her head throbbed, and she passed out. _

"But he was never gone,"

_Maniwa was telling her too much. Tsukiko's right eye twitched a little, and she pulled out a slender baseball bat._

"Something that makes something like that can't forget it,"

_Tsukiko panted, holding the bat in between her hands. Her hair was tucked under a red cap, and she stared at the hotel woman before bringing down the weapon and smiling._

Tsukiko was on her knees. This had all happened. She was the assailant. She attacked paranoid victims. _She_ was the one!

Tsukiko looked up. The girl stood on the railroad tracks. Tsukiko smiled, and stood up. She took a few awkward steps towards the tracks. Her pace never quickened, but she reached the girl all the same.

She dropped back down to her knees, and embraced the girl. Her head was resting on the girls shoulders while her knees were on top of tracks.

"Sanctity of mind…" Tsukiko muttered. She started to cry. "I understand," she whispered as the warning lights began to flash. "I finally get it,"

The gates closed in front and behind of her, and a noise was growing louder from her right. Tsukiko closed her eyes, and hugged the girl. A gentle light filled her mind.

"It's over…" she said, tears stinging her eyes. Another light came from her right, and the noise reached its peak, before Tsukiko Sagi knew nothing.

A sketchbook flowed through the air. It landed on its spine, and fell open to a page with a few pink scribbles. The wind blew, and a few pages turned. The book was now open to a page that Tsukiko had not originally drawn.

The sketch was beautifully done. Shading was accurate, and details were flawless. It was a picture of a girl with wide eyes shut, and short black hair. She wore green shorts, and a hooded sweatshirt that was short-sleeved. The hands were clasped together over the chest, and wings were spread out.

* * *

Tsukiko was shaken. She awoke with a jolt, and noticed she was in her office. It was neat and organized, and everything seemed right. Tsukiko thought for a minute. Just then, everything had made sense. She understood everything, so why did nothing make sense now?

By looking to her left, Tsukiko saw it was Mariyama who had shaken her out of what Tsukiko could only guess was sleep.

"Come on, Tsukiko," said Mariyama. "I can't keep you, no matter how well you draw, if you sleep on the job!" said the woman in a non-serious manner,

"I'm…sorry," said Tsukiko. Maybe she was dreaming? Tsukiko looked at the screen and saw another character on the screen. It was half finished.

"So," began Mariyama. "Were you having some kind of nightmare?"

"I must have," responded Tsukiko. "Guess everything's still normal." The light from the window gleamed on her face.

A few hours later, Tsukiko was walking home. No one acknowledged her, and no one disregarded her. She just blended into the crowd. A man threw a newspaper into a trash bin, and Tsukiko stopped to look at it.

**_New Movie From Renowned Animator Big Hit!_**

Tsukiko smiled and kept walking. Another man walked by, and seemed not to notice Tsukiko. He did notice the paper though.

**_The Final Chapter in Tsukiko Sagi's Life!_**

_**Did thoughts of Suicide push her over the edge?

* * *

**_

And that's the end. I told you that you might be upset. And I guarantee that there will be at least a few people who don't get the end. Well, this was the last chapter, so review whatever you want. Thank you, and until I think of a new story, later!


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